Stoke Goals: John Walters (5, 49), Kenwyne Jones (12)
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (2 PEN)
We said we'd have a party if Suarez won a pen. As it turned out, this wasn't a very good party. It was every bit the kind of horror show you expect from a visit to Stoke and for all the pre match optimism I had that something had to change in respect to our form here, in the end it turned out all too predictably. A lot has been said about the way in which we approached the game from a tactical stand point and that playing our regular 4-3-3 was playing into their hands and that we should have switched to a back three, I can't help but feel as if trying to match them in a physical battle would have dragged the game down completely and we'd have been lacking in any creativity should things have gone wrong. It's a tough situation whereby the only real right answer is to win the game and I think with the team that we did put out, Rodgers was going for the win rather than to be happy with matching them in some sort of midfield gridlock.
The surprise was twofold. Firstly that the team playing the long ball was us rather than Stoke. We do go direct more often than people seem to think, especially given that Suarez is such a good hold up player. Here he had Ryan Shawcross turned and got the wrong side of him with the ball being played in behind the Stoke defence. What happened next was then was truly unexpected. Unable to get back goal side of Suarez, Shawcross began grabbing at his shirt as he drove into the penalty area. Howard Webb then pointed to the spot and awarded a penalty. Having gone so long without one, it would have then been absolutely typical that Gerrard would step up and have his kick saved but he calmly placed it into the left hand corner while Begovic was helpless as he dived the wrong way. We could have wished for a better start to the game. If only it had finished that way.
Both sets of supporters had vocally gone up a gear. We'd even lit a red flare in the away end to add some extra atmosphere to proceedings, while Stoke fans vocalised their feelings of faux injustice. Because it was Suarez that means it couldn't have been a penalty. Or something. On the pitch things were equally as frantic as neither side could really settle down and players on both teams were flying into each other, Geoff Cameron receiving a yellow card for his challenge on Lucas during it all. As it turned out, the drama was only just beginning. Another straight ball played forward from back to front, this time by Ryan Shawcross. Kenwyne Jones backed into Agger who held his ground and won the header but due to the presence of Jones was unable to get any real distance on it. Martin Skrtel would have been there to clear up the second ball but he slipped over, leaving John Walters to pick up the pieces and slot the ball home for a near instant leveller.
In the minutes that followed after Walters' equaliser, Stoke pressed us with an intense ferocity that I haven't seen matched this season by an opposition side. They ran everywhere trying to bully us into mistakes and having lost the lead so quickly our collective brains were scrambled and there was nobody who could get on the ball and take the sting out of the game. When we did have any kind of possession, there was a loose pass or miscontrol never too far away and against a side playing with such energy and directness it was always going to come straight back on to our - increasingly deep - back four. For Tony Pulis' side, it was a case of get the ball as close to the goal as often as possible and see what kind of havoc you can create. Lucas was doing what he could do help win the aerial duels that Agger and Skrtel were having to contend with but on the whole we weren't sharp enough or good enough to hold onto it.
Stoke continually bullied us into giving away one set piece after another and all of them in close enough to Reina for their towering players to come in and make a nuisance of themselves. The second goal arrived soon afterwards and it wasn't particularly inevitable, or even well worked. It was after a succession of long throws and corner kicks that were all cleared, though none of them particularly convincingly. Glen Whelan's cross was not of any great quality and Kenwyne Jones' header was good enough to find it's way into the near post but it was the fact that he'd been able to wriggle free of Daniel Agger so easily and that Glen Johnson couldn't block it on the line when it seemed like he was right there to stick a leg out and prevent it. We'd taken the lead in the second minute and ten minutes later we were losing. There was still a long way to go yet.
Going ahead seemed to settle them down briefly. Subconsciously or not, when a side that doesn't concede many at home comes from behind to go in front, they then don't expect you'll have enough to score another. Luis Suarez did have a half chance with the ball having been played flat across the box by Jose Enrique but he could not make any real contact with it and they were able to clear. Our defence - despite wanting to push out further than our own penalty area - was constantly on the back foot as they played balls into the channels and then into the box for Jones or Walters to make something of. Reina had no saves to make but our clearances were becoming increasingly frantic. At the other end Suarez was virtually having to play four Stoke defenders on his own. When we did manage to get players forward on the counter attack again it was a player slipping at the wrong time that cost us. Johnson slid in Downing on the right hand side and his ball across may have been behind Suso but he was in a lot of space and had he not fell over might have been able to do something with it.
After the initial fifteen minute bombardment, we did start to get on the ball and catch our breath. The situation may not have been ideal but we still had plenty of time to come back from what was a solitary goal deficit. Agger was even afforded the space to stride forward with the ball and link with Luis Suarez but was unable to find a way through Stoke's packed defence. Moments later Lucas played a magnificent ball over the top to Jonjo Shelvey but he just couldn't gather it in and finish. The problem was that for the most part Stoke were the team winning all the battles, more specifically Kenwyne Jones. He was causing Skrtel some real problems and the fact that as a back four we were so deep, this allowed them to come on to us even more. Both our failure to do simple things while retaining the ball and our predictability when it came to try and win it back - both Suso and Gerrard sold themselves far too short twice in the space of a few seconds and in Gerrard's case it led to a chance for Etherington which he fortunately blazed over.
Our attacking play was starting to come into the game once more but we were unable to create anything clear cut. In general build up play when we were in control and playing the ball around in their half there were eight Stoke defenders strung across the middle and on the few occasions we did catch them on the break our final pass wasn't there. The one real quality pass we did manage was Suso to Suarez and it split the centre halves perfectly but Luis was unable to gather it in. A lot of what we did try was coming from those wide areas because of how congested it was down the middle. Downing was in the thick of a lot of the action to the point where Tony Pulis was forced into moving Geoff Cameron over to the other side to save him from a potential challenge that would see him receive a second yellow. When he did manage to get into those areas though we weren't able to finish with a Gerrard side foot going just wide before Suarez had a wild effort with his wrong foot.
The most worrying aspect of this game to me wasn't anything to do with our toughness or battling qualities - even Suso was getting the better of the more physical Stoke players at times - but rather our naivety in dealing with their squeezing of the play when we had the ball along our own defensive third. Time and again we had chances to either clear the ball or those around had the chance to move into better space but we continued to knock the ball around in increasingly smaller areas of the defence, allowing them the opportunity to focus their efforts and make it much harder to play the ball out. Even so much of an inkling of that kind of disruption from a Stoke player seemed to have this hold over us that we forgot how to play football and would either give it straight up or put ourselves in increasingly difficult situations. When they come onto us like that, there should be gaps elsewhere - ones that our midfielders should be occupying and ready to exploit. What shouldn't happen is this idea that we force ourselves further and further back, too stubborn to clear it but knowing that the danger is imminent. We're supposed to be better than that.
After breaking the shackles of their relentless pursuit of our centre halves, we were at some degree of comfort for the most part. Stoke had their set up and held a very good shape making sure that any gaps were plugged as quickly as possible. That being said Suarez was still trying to make things happen and he was having mixed results, in trying to nutmeg Robert Huth and failing miserably before turning Geoff Cameron off a throw in and firing in between the legs of Begovic. The Stoke goalkeeper can consider himself lucky not to have conceded again, having just about kept the ball out by virtually sitting on it. Even Jonjo Shelvey who was having a torrid time in the middle of the park found space and controlled the ball brilliantly but could not match this up with a finish and his tame shot went straight at the goalkeeper.
At the other end Reina was forced into action once again when his mis-hit clearance looked to have put Stoke in for a third. The eventual cross that came in evaded everyone and fell at the feet of Matthew Etherington who was about to fire but Reina managed to smother him. It was good work to make up for his initial mistake but another sign that we needed to improve our passing as a whole and not invite them onto us. As half time arrived it wasn't the end of the world by any means, we'd taken the lead and then succumbed to a bombardment by a ravenous home side. There were chances for us to come back level and the hope was that if we continued to play like that and create some better chances then there was definitely a chance of leaving the Brittania with at least a point yet still.
The resumption of play would see a change in the form of Raheem Sterling coming on for Suso. It was both an understandable change in that we needed more of a spark up front and for all that's been said of Suso being potentially lightweight - which is something he needs to improve on but I think is a little harsh - Sterling is certainly someone who may be of a slender build but has no problem throwing himself into challenges and won't shirk the fight if he's in one. Unfortunately the change that hadn't been made was one in the minds of those who had already been out there for the first half. Within seconds we had the ball back toward our goal and hadn't woken up to their constant rushing, which led to Agger giving the ball away on the left hand side. Fortunately we were able to regroup and even create a good chance of our own. Gerrard played it to Sterling who was being watched by two Stoke defenders. A quick burst of pace saw him get to the line and put a ball across, where Suarez had ghosted in front of Robert Huth. The angle was a little tight and with Begovic right on him however, the attempted chipped finish went narrowly wide. Only a single goal down there was still hope. From one end to the other then, Stoke were about to make the task a whole lot harder.
Lucas had been watchful and knocked the ball out for two successive quick throw ins. Having played the first one short it was clear that the second was going to be launched into the box and we played right into their hands. Jones was being watched by two defenders but neither could prevent him from winning the header and as a result there was no attention paid whatsoever to the second ball. Walters was able to chest the ball down and volley it beyond Reina from inside the penalty area with no defender getting anywhere near him. It's not about any style of marking rather than it is slack marking. If you're going to pay that much attention to the intended target then you have to win the initial header, otherwise make sure you're there to mop up whatever happens following that. We did neither and now found ourselves two goals down with just a few minutes of the second half having been played.
From here, virtually the whole team fell apart for the next few minutes. Even the most basic of passing was beyond us as we looked to let Stoke in at every opportunity, who themselves needed no invitation to come at us given how comfortable they were in the game. The exception was Luis Suarez; bane of the Stoke netherworld. They continued to voice their disapproval louder than any kind of support for their own players and it appeared as if the more they booed him the harder he worked. He was causing problems for defenders and winning corners as well as chasing down everything to the point where Robert Huth and latterly Ryan Shawcross had to be right on their toes as he very nearly got on the end of a misplaced back pass.
Steven Gerrard likewise saw the need to get us further up the pitch both in the sense that we needed to create something as an attacking force to get back into the game and allowing us some respite from their harassment but his range wasn't quite there and even when he did manage to find Glen Johnson he found himself being closely marshalled by two Stoke defenders but was still able to cut on the outside and earn a corner. One set piece closely followed another and if anything was more likely to lead to another Stoke goal rather than a way back into it for ourselves with a potentially lethal break being halted by a marginal offside call. We were showing signs of recovery in the sense that we rediscovered our ability to pass the ball and though Stoke had men back behind the ball we were fighting hard to get beyond them, Jose Enqique using his strength to barge through. When in those positions however there weren't enough men forward and the final ball was lacking.
In terms of changing personnel, there was one player who had to stay on the pitch. While Brendan Rodgers looked to inject Jordan Henderson's energy onto the game as he came on for Lucas, within moments of the switch there could have been disaster in terms of Luis Suarez's involvement. He came into a challenge with a high boot and caught Begovic. It looked a difficult one to call and certainly one which would draw a great deal of anger if the circumstances were reversed but overall the right decision was reached. While the crowed bayed for a red and Howard Webb infuriated them by only showing the Uruguayan a yellow. It was looking a near impossible task the way we were playing with Suarez. Without him there would have been no hope whatsoever.
The two goal cushion had lead to Stoke pulling men deep somewhat as we started to enjoy more of the possession again. They still were hard in the tackle and very well organised but Gerrard was now able to run forward with the ball and look for room beyond their back line or even be tempted into a shot. Aside from Suarez, our best chance of getting back into the game was with the free kicks that we were winning on the flank. Downing won one right on the edge of the penalty area which was headed clear whereas moments earlier Gerrard's effort was similarly dealt with. Against an opponent which has a distinct height advantage, I'm really not sure the way in which we went about trying to exploit these opportunities was particularly clever - especially when considering that we've been better at that on the whole this season. In the midst of it all we did have the ball in the net however. Suarez combining with Gerrard then Sterling and finally Henderson before falling down on the ball. Luis hammered the ball into the net but the whistle had already gone as Jordan was judged to have handled it.
Defensively we were coping better, partly because Stoke had no reason to venture into our half and even on the occasions when they did we looked petrified of what they were going to do. Enrique and Johnson very nearly both gave the ball away in dangerous areas only to make amends Jose using his strength to atone for his earlier error and Gerrard on the cover to force Stoke inside where we cleared it. It wouldn't take long for the ball to be up the other end. As had been the case for some time, it wasn't before long that Suarez was involved again first having his shot blocked and then being flagged for offside as Gerrard tried to play him in. Very little good came out of this game but Suarez's effort must be commended.
A collision between Dean Whitehead and Pepe Reina allowed more time to be eaten away but also gave us a small window with which to regroup. Reina was okay to continue after not too long and it then took us a whole two passes before one was played astray. This is under minimal pressure and we were fortunate enough to get it clear and not be further punished. On the break meanwhile, Sterling left it for Shelvey and he played it across field to Glen Johnson. What followed looked every bit the player we'd seen for some weeks now right up until the finish. Under different circumstances, he'dve driven in and shot - to which I would have gladly accepted the consequences, whether it went miles wide or not. Johnson could easily have gone for the pass also, but what with the way the game had gone and our growing desperation he delayed it far too long and the pass eventually rolled straight to a Stoke defender.
Coping in a game like this - especially with the circumstances the way they were - is all about mental strength. Having the physicality to get involved is one thing but it's about belief, desire and how you use that. Jose Enrique is one of the strongest players we have and there were times when the pressure would get to him and they'd be able to get there first. The first touches were deserting our players completely - right throughout the team - and if you can't get it right in that kind of intensity, it undermines everything we're trying to do. As a last resort, Joe Cole came on for Stewart Downing followed immediately afterwards by former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch making an appearance for Stoke. I did fear that with any kind of chance he'd end the game completely with one of those goals that are only ever scored by players that used to play for you. As it was, they were doing a perfectly good job of shutting it down themselves.
Much to the absolute delight of the Stoke crowd, Luis Suarez was growing ever frustrated with the way things were going. Every misplaced pass or attempt at something that wouldn't come off would be greeted with the kind of cheer you'd normally reserve for goals. When Enrique played one over the top from the left hand side it finally looked like he'd got goal side for a second. However he was forced to turn back and then lay it off to Sterling on the edge of the box whose shot hit a defender and allowed Begovic to pluck it out of the air with ease. Suarez aside, pretty much everything we were attempting to do was slow and tentative, as if we were frightened of them coming out to attack us once more. Conversely when Stoke snapped in at our heels it was purposeful and they drove forward with a real menace, although they were lacking in any real quality and Reina was only ever troubled by a few potentially short backpasses that they were determined to chase all the way down.
To their credit, Stoke retained their concentration all over the park right to the very end. There were times when they had ten players inside the penalty area, making it near impossible for anyone to get through. Suarez was still trying desperately however but completely unable to get anything going. His free kick hit the wall and when Joe Cole found him on the right hand side with a flicked header he played a dangerous ball in across the back line only for no-one to be on the end of it. Gerrard managed to force a camera save out of Begovic in the time that remained and when Suarez had one last shot and fell over on his backside in the process, that pretty much summed up the entire game. Once again we take a small step back after having a good result against Fulham and once again we're caught completely off our game plan by a team that gets in our faces. My worry would not be the fact that we didn't match them in terms of shape or personnel (although I've really no explanation as for how Jonjo Shelvey managed to stay on for ninety minutes) - I like the idea of trying to impose our game on them - my concern would be that we didn't match their desire and that's the one thing you'd expect them to have. Incredibly disappointing. We move on.
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (2 PEN)
We said we'd have a party if Suarez won a pen. As it turned out, this wasn't a very good party. It was every bit the kind of horror show you expect from a visit to Stoke and for all the pre match optimism I had that something had to change in respect to our form here, in the end it turned out all too predictably. A lot has been said about the way in which we approached the game from a tactical stand point and that playing our regular 4-3-3 was playing into their hands and that we should have switched to a back three, I can't help but feel as if trying to match them in a physical battle would have dragged the game down completely and we'd have been lacking in any creativity should things have gone wrong. It's a tough situation whereby the only real right answer is to win the game and I think with the team that we did put out, Rodgers was going for the win rather than to be happy with matching them in some sort of midfield gridlock.
The surprise was twofold. Firstly that the team playing the long ball was us rather than Stoke. We do go direct more often than people seem to think, especially given that Suarez is such a good hold up player. Here he had Ryan Shawcross turned and got the wrong side of him with the ball being played in behind the Stoke defence. What happened next was then was truly unexpected. Unable to get back goal side of Suarez, Shawcross began grabbing at his shirt as he drove into the penalty area. Howard Webb then pointed to the spot and awarded a penalty. Having gone so long without one, it would have then been absolutely typical that Gerrard would step up and have his kick saved but he calmly placed it into the left hand corner while Begovic was helpless as he dived the wrong way. We could have wished for a better start to the game. If only it had finished that way.
Both sets of supporters had vocally gone up a gear. We'd even lit a red flare in the away end to add some extra atmosphere to proceedings, while Stoke fans vocalised their feelings of faux injustice. Because it was Suarez that means it couldn't have been a penalty. Or something. On the pitch things were equally as frantic as neither side could really settle down and players on both teams were flying into each other, Geoff Cameron receiving a yellow card for his challenge on Lucas during it all. As it turned out, the drama was only just beginning. Another straight ball played forward from back to front, this time by Ryan Shawcross. Kenwyne Jones backed into Agger who held his ground and won the header but due to the presence of Jones was unable to get any real distance on it. Martin Skrtel would have been there to clear up the second ball but he slipped over, leaving John Walters to pick up the pieces and slot the ball home for a near instant leveller.
In the minutes that followed after Walters' equaliser, Stoke pressed us with an intense ferocity that I haven't seen matched this season by an opposition side. They ran everywhere trying to bully us into mistakes and having lost the lead so quickly our collective brains were scrambled and there was nobody who could get on the ball and take the sting out of the game. When we did have any kind of possession, there was a loose pass or miscontrol never too far away and against a side playing with such energy and directness it was always going to come straight back on to our - increasingly deep - back four. For Tony Pulis' side, it was a case of get the ball as close to the goal as often as possible and see what kind of havoc you can create. Lucas was doing what he could do help win the aerial duels that Agger and Skrtel were having to contend with but on the whole we weren't sharp enough or good enough to hold onto it.
Stoke continually bullied us into giving away one set piece after another and all of them in close enough to Reina for their towering players to come in and make a nuisance of themselves. The second goal arrived soon afterwards and it wasn't particularly inevitable, or even well worked. It was after a succession of long throws and corner kicks that were all cleared, though none of them particularly convincingly. Glen Whelan's cross was not of any great quality and Kenwyne Jones' header was good enough to find it's way into the near post but it was the fact that he'd been able to wriggle free of Daniel Agger so easily and that Glen Johnson couldn't block it on the line when it seemed like he was right there to stick a leg out and prevent it. We'd taken the lead in the second minute and ten minutes later we were losing. There was still a long way to go yet.Going ahead seemed to settle them down briefly. Subconsciously or not, when a side that doesn't concede many at home comes from behind to go in front, they then don't expect you'll have enough to score another. Luis Suarez did have a half chance with the ball having been played flat across the box by Jose Enrique but he could not make any real contact with it and they were able to clear. Our defence - despite wanting to push out further than our own penalty area - was constantly on the back foot as they played balls into the channels and then into the box for Jones or Walters to make something of. Reina had no saves to make but our clearances were becoming increasingly frantic. At the other end Suarez was virtually having to play four Stoke defenders on his own. When we did manage to get players forward on the counter attack again it was a player slipping at the wrong time that cost us. Johnson slid in Downing on the right hand side and his ball across may have been behind Suso but he was in a lot of space and had he not fell over might have been able to do something with it.
After the initial fifteen minute bombardment, we did start to get on the ball and catch our breath. The situation may not have been ideal but we still had plenty of time to come back from what was a solitary goal deficit. Agger was even afforded the space to stride forward with the ball and link with Luis Suarez but was unable to find a way through Stoke's packed defence. Moments later Lucas played a magnificent ball over the top to Jonjo Shelvey but he just couldn't gather it in and finish. The problem was that for the most part Stoke were the team winning all the battles, more specifically Kenwyne Jones. He was causing Skrtel some real problems and the fact that as a back four we were so deep, this allowed them to come on to us even more. Both our failure to do simple things while retaining the ball and our predictability when it came to try and win it back - both Suso and Gerrard sold themselves far too short twice in the space of a few seconds and in Gerrard's case it led to a chance for Etherington which he fortunately blazed over.
Our attacking play was starting to come into the game once more but we were unable to create anything clear cut. In general build up play when we were in control and playing the ball around in their half there were eight Stoke defenders strung across the middle and on the few occasions we did catch them on the break our final pass wasn't there. The one real quality pass we did manage was Suso to Suarez and it split the centre halves perfectly but Luis was unable to gather it in. A lot of what we did try was coming from those wide areas because of how congested it was down the middle. Downing was in the thick of a lot of the action to the point where Tony Pulis was forced into moving Geoff Cameron over to the other side to save him from a potential challenge that would see him receive a second yellow. When he did manage to get into those areas though we weren't able to finish with a Gerrard side foot going just wide before Suarez had a wild effort with his wrong foot.
The most worrying aspect of this game to me wasn't anything to do with our toughness or battling qualities - even Suso was getting the better of the more physical Stoke players at times - but rather our naivety in dealing with their squeezing of the play when we had the ball along our own defensive third. Time and again we had chances to either clear the ball or those around had the chance to move into better space but we continued to knock the ball around in increasingly smaller areas of the defence, allowing them the opportunity to focus their efforts and make it much harder to play the ball out. Even so much of an inkling of that kind of disruption from a Stoke player seemed to have this hold over us that we forgot how to play football and would either give it straight up or put ourselves in increasingly difficult situations. When they come onto us like that, there should be gaps elsewhere - ones that our midfielders should be occupying and ready to exploit. What shouldn't happen is this idea that we force ourselves further and further back, too stubborn to clear it but knowing that the danger is imminent. We're supposed to be better than that.
After breaking the shackles of their relentless pursuit of our centre halves, we were at some degree of comfort for the most part. Stoke had their set up and held a very good shape making sure that any gaps were plugged as quickly as possible. That being said Suarez was still trying to make things happen and he was having mixed results, in trying to nutmeg Robert Huth and failing miserably before turning Geoff Cameron off a throw in and firing in between the legs of Begovic. The Stoke goalkeeper can consider himself lucky not to have conceded again, having just about kept the ball out by virtually sitting on it. Even Jonjo Shelvey who was having a torrid time in the middle of the park found space and controlled the ball brilliantly but could not match this up with a finish and his tame shot went straight at the goalkeeper.
At the other end Reina was forced into action once again when his mis-hit clearance looked to have put Stoke in for a third. The eventual cross that came in evaded everyone and fell at the feet of Matthew Etherington who was about to fire but Reina managed to smother him. It was good work to make up for his initial mistake but another sign that we needed to improve our passing as a whole and not invite them onto us. As half time arrived it wasn't the end of the world by any means, we'd taken the lead and then succumbed to a bombardment by a ravenous home side. There were chances for us to come back level and the hope was that if we continued to play like that and create some better chances then there was definitely a chance of leaving the Brittania with at least a point yet still.
The resumption of play would see a change in the form of Raheem Sterling coming on for Suso. It was both an understandable change in that we needed more of a spark up front and for all that's been said of Suso being potentially lightweight - which is something he needs to improve on but I think is a little harsh - Sterling is certainly someone who may be of a slender build but has no problem throwing himself into challenges and won't shirk the fight if he's in one. Unfortunately the change that hadn't been made was one in the minds of those who had already been out there for the first half. Within seconds we had the ball back toward our goal and hadn't woken up to their constant rushing, which led to Agger giving the ball away on the left hand side. Fortunately we were able to regroup and even create a good chance of our own. Gerrard played it to Sterling who was being watched by two Stoke defenders. A quick burst of pace saw him get to the line and put a ball across, where Suarez had ghosted in front of Robert Huth. The angle was a little tight and with Begovic right on him however, the attempted chipped finish went narrowly wide. Only a single goal down there was still hope. From one end to the other then, Stoke were about to make the task a whole lot harder.
Lucas had been watchful and knocked the ball out for two successive quick throw ins. Having played the first one short it was clear that the second was going to be launched into the box and we played right into their hands. Jones was being watched by two defenders but neither could prevent him from winning the header and as a result there was no attention paid whatsoever to the second ball. Walters was able to chest the ball down and volley it beyond Reina from inside the penalty area with no defender getting anywhere near him. It's not about any style of marking rather than it is slack marking. If you're going to pay that much attention to the intended target then you have to win the initial header, otherwise make sure you're there to mop up whatever happens following that. We did neither and now found ourselves two goals down with just a few minutes of the second half having been played.
From here, virtually the whole team fell apart for the next few minutes. Even the most basic of passing was beyond us as we looked to let Stoke in at every opportunity, who themselves needed no invitation to come at us given how comfortable they were in the game. The exception was Luis Suarez; bane of the Stoke netherworld. They continued to voice their disapproval louder than any kind of support for their own players and it appeared as if the more they booed him the harder he worked. He was causing problems for defenders and winning corners as well as chasing down everything to the point where Robert Huth and latterly Ryan Shawcross had to be right on their toes as he very nearly got on the end of a misplaced back pass.
Steven Gerrard likewise saw the need to get us further up the pitch both in the sense that we needed to create something as an attacking force to get back into the game and allowing us some respite from their harassment but his range wasn't quite there and even when he did manage to find Glen Johnson he found himself being closely marshalled by two Stoke defenders but was still able to cut on the outside and earn a corner. One set piece closely followed another and if anything was more likely to lead to another Stoke goal rather than a way back into it for ourselves with a potentially lethal break being halted by a marginal offside call. We were showing signs of recovery in the sense that we rediscovered our ability to pass the ball and though Stoke had men back behind the ball we were fighting hard to get beyond them, Jose Enqique using his strength to barge through. When in those positions however there weren't enough men forward and the final ball was lacking.
In terms of changing personnel, there was one player who had to stay on the pitch. While Brendan Rodgers looked to inject Jordan Henderson's energy onto the game as he came on for Lucas, within moments of the switch there could have been disaster in terms of Luis Suarez's involvement. He came into a challenge with a high boot and caught Begovic. It looked a difficult one to call and certainly one which would draw a great deal of anger if the circumstances were reversed but overall the right decision was reached. While the crowed bayed for a red and Howard Webb infuriated them by only showing the Uruguayan a yellow. It was looking a near impossible task the way we were playing with Suarez. Without him there would have been no hope whatsoever.
The two goal cushion had lead to Stoke pulling men deep somewhat as we started to enjoy more of the possession again. They still were hard in the tackle and very well organised but Gerrard was now able to run forward with the ball and look for room beyond their back line or even be tempted into a shot. Aside from Suarez, our best chance of getting back into the game was with the free kicks that we were winning on the flank. Downing won one right on the edge of the penalty area which was headed clear whereas moments earlier Gerrard's effort was similarly dealt with. Against an opponent which has a distinct height advantage, I'm really not sure the way in which we went about trying to exploit these opportunities was particularly clever - especially when considering that we've been better at that on the whole this season. In the midst of it all we did have the ball in the net however. Suarez combining with Gerrard then Sterling and finally Henderson before falling down on the ball. Luis hammered the ball into the net but the whistle had already gone as Jordan was judged to have handled it.
Defensively we were coping better, partly because Stoke had no reason to venture into our half and even on the occasions when they did we looked petrified of what they were going to do. Enrique and Johnson very nearly both gave the ball away in dangerous areas only to make amends Jose using his strength to atone for his earlier error and Gerrard on the cover to force Stoke inside where we cleared it. It wouldn't take long for the ball to be up the other end. As had been the case for some time, it wasn't before long that Suarez was involved again first having his shot blocked and then being flagged for offside as Gerrard tried to play him in. Very little good came out of this game but Suarez's effort must be commended.
Coping in a game like this - especially with the circumstances the way they were - is all about mental strength. Having the physicality to get involved is one thing but it's about belief, desire and how you use that. Jose Enrique is one of the strongest players we have and there were times when the pressure would get to him and they'd be able to get there first. The first touches were deserting our players completely - right throughout the team - and if you can't get it right in that kind of intensity, it undermines everything we're trying to do. As a last resort, Joe Cole came on for Stewart Downing followed immediately afterwards by former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch making an appearance for Stoke. I did fear that with any kind of chance he'd end the game completely with one of those goals that are only ever scored by players that used to play for you. As it was, they were doing a perfectly good job of shutting it down themselves.
Much to the absolute delight of the Stoke crowd, Luis Suarez was growing ever frustrated with the way things were going. Every misplaced pass or attempt at something that wouldn't come off would be greeted with the kind of cheer you'd normally reserve for goals. When Enrique played one over the top from the left hand side it finally looked like he'd got goal side for a second. However he was forced to turn back and then lay it off to Sterling on the edge of the box whose shot hit a defender and allowed Begovic to pluck it out of the air with ease. Suarez aside, pretty much everything we were attempting to do was slow and tentative, as if we were frightened of them coming out to attack us once more. Conversely when Stoke snapped in at our heels it was purposeful and they drove forward with a real menace, although they were lacking in any real quality and Reina was only ever troubled by a few potentially short backpasses that they were determined to chase all the way down.
To their credit, Stoke retained their concentration all over the park right to the very end. There were times when they had ten players inside the penalty area, making it near impossible for anyone to get through. Suarez was still trying desperately however but completely unable to get anything going. His free kick hit the wall and when Joe Cole found him on the right hand side with a flicked header he played a dangerous ball in across the back line only for no-one to be on the end of it. Gerrard managed to force a camera save out of Begovic in the time that remained and when Suarez had one last shot and fell over on his backside in the process, that pretty much summed up the entire game. Once again we take a small step back after having a good result against Fulham and once again we're caught completely off our game plan by a team that gets in our faces. My worry would not be the fact that we didn't match them in terms of shape or personnel (although I've really no explanation as for how Jonjo Shelvey managed to stay on for ninety minutes) - I like the idea of trying to impose our game on them - my concern would be that we didn't match their desire and that's the one thing you'd expect them to have. Incredibly disappointing. We move on.
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