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Queen's Park Rangers 3 Liverpool 2
"No one likes to lose, even less when you're wearing a red shirt,'' Kenny Dalglish,
the Liverpool manager, said. ``The important thing is that we continue to believe
in what we're doing. We'll just have to take our chances with the bounce of the
ball and add a little bit of thought and we'll be perfectly happy.''
About this time of season it is usual for Liverpool to experience the odd hiccup
while everyone else holds their breath. But rather like a hare which is deliberately
slowed down to give the greyhounds a better view of what they are chasing, one
senses that Liverpool will accelerate away from the pack at any moment.
For the first half-hour and much of the next they were unrecognizable as the team
that has dominated the English game for longer than some care to remember.
One might almost describe their performance here as ragged and indifferent.
Thankfully, most Liverpudlians know how to retain a sense of humour at times of
crisis. Stan Boardman, the comedian, taking it upon himself to address the Press
afterwards, informed them that Dalglish was about to purchase eighty yards of
the Berlin Wall and rebuild it around Grobbelaar.
It was no laughing matter for the visitors, though, when Queen's Park Rangers
moved into a 27th-minute lead, even if the home supporters seemed the more
dumbfounded by it. But they found it hard to believe that their team, without a
win in seven games and second from the bottom of the table, were ahead of
Liverpool, Wright blasting home the penalty kick after a push by Hysen on Falco.
Reality soon dawned and they were back on level terms within five minutes when
Barnes, also from the spot, carried out his own retribution after Parker's trip on
him. The offence was not half as despicable as Barnes's professional foul on
Channing, a demeaning act for such a great player and one which warranted more
than a booking.
It seemed as though it was symptomatic of Liverpool's untidy mood. Similarly
uncharacteristic was Hysen's clumsy challenge on Falco from which Rangers
restored their lead three minutes on from Barnes's equalizer. Wright, Rangers'
excellent signing from Aberdeen, was again the executioner with another fierce
drive from 25 yards which gained from a deflection. Francis described Wright as
``one of the best strikers of a ball I've ever seen''.
With Molby on for Nicol in the second half, Liverpool began to establish a rhythm
and purpose. A typically raking pass from the Dane soon put Barnes in a
dangerously advanced position. McMahon's header to his precise cross seemed
unlikely to cause Seaman any trouble until Rush did so with an intervening header
which the goalkeeper saved superbly.
Liverpool, though, were still not done with their crudity, and when Whelan failed
to apprehend Sinton by dubious means, the Rangers midfield player pressed on to
find Falco who,with a nifty change of feet, steered a fine shot well wide of
Grobbelaar. Liverpool's response was immediate and Barnes, operating to more
telling effect in the second half in a central striking role, scored splendidly with a
shot of such minimal backlift that Seaman was given little warning.
But, to Rangers' credit, they retained a sense of adventure in the face of
Liverpool's gathering storm, even sending on another forward, Clarke,
substituting for Wright, who had cramp. Francis conceded that this victory was
probably the greatest triumph he has experienced as a manager. Don Howe, his
assistant, is one of the few people who will know how he feels.
QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS: D Seaman; J Channing, K Sansom, P Parker, A
McDonald, D Maddix, S Barker, P Reid, M Falco, P Wright (sub: C Clarke).
LIVERPOOL: B Grobbelaar; G Hysen, S Burrows, S Nicol (sub: J Molby), R Whelan, A
Hansen, P Beardsley, R Houghton, I Rush, J Barnes,
"No one likes to lose, even less when you're wearing a red shirt,'' Kenny Dalglish,
the Liverpool manager, said. ``The important thing is that we continue to believe
in what we're doing. We'll just have to take our chances with the bounce of the
ball and add a little bit of thought and we'll be perfectly happy.''
About this time of season it is usual for Liverpool to experience the odd hiccup
while everyone else holds their breath. But rather like a hare which is deliberately
slowed down to give the greyhounds a better view of what they are chasing, one
senses that Liverpool will accelerate away from the pack at any moment.
For the first half-hour and much of the next they were unrecognizable as the team
that has dominated the English game for longer than some care to remember.
One might almost describe their performance here as ragged and indifferent.
Thankfully, most Liverpudlians know how to retain a sense of humour at times of
crisis. Stan Boardman, the comedian, taking it upon himself to address the Press
afterwards, informed them that Dalglish was about to purchase eighty yards of
the Berlin Wall and rebuild it around Grobbelaar.
It was no laughing matter for the visitors, though, when Queen's Park Rangers
moved into a 27th-minute lead, even if the home supporters seemed the more
dumbfounded by it. But they found it hard to believe that their team, without a
win in seven games and second from the bottom of the table, were ahead of
Liverpool, Wright blasting home the penalty kick after a push by Hysen on Falco.
Reality soon dawned and they were back on level terms within five minutes when
Barnes, also from the spot, carried out his own retribution after Parker's trip on
him. The offence was not half as despicable as Barnes's professional foul on
Channing, a demeaning act for such a great player and one which warranted more
than a booking.
It seemed as though it was symptomatic of Liverpool's untidy mood. Similarly
uncharacteristic was Hysen's clumsy challenge on Falco from which Rangers
restored their lead three minutes on from Barnes's equalizer. Wright, Rangers'
excellent signing from Aberdeen, was again the executioner with another fierce
drive from 25 yards which gained from a deflection. Francis described Wright as
``one of the best strikers of a ball I've ever seen''.
With Molby on for Nicol in the second half, Liverpool began to establish a rhythm
and purpose. A typically raking pass from the Dane soon put Barnes in a
dangerously advanced position. McMahon's header to his precise cross seemed
unlikely to cause Seaman any trouble until Rush did so with an intervening header
which the goalkeeper saved superbly.
Liverpool, though, were still not done with their crudity, and when Whelan failed
to apprehend Sinton by dubious means, the Rangers midfield player pressed on to
find Falco who,with a nifty change of feet, steered a fine shot well wide of
Grobbelaar. Liverpool's response was immediate and Barnes, operating to more
telling effect in the second half in a central striking role, scored splendidly with a
shot of such minimal backlift that Seaman was given little warning.
But, to Rangers' credit, they retained a sense of adventure in the face of
Liverpool's gathering storm, even sending on another forward, Clarke,
substituting for Wright, who had cramp. Francis conceded that this victory was
probably the greatest triumph he has experienced as a manager. Don Howe, his
assistant, is one of the few people who will know how he feels.
QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS: D Seaman; J Channing, K Sansom, P Parker, A
McDonald, D Maddix, S Barker, P Reid, M Falco, P Wright (sub: C Clarke).
LIVERPOOL: B Grobbelaar; G Hysen, S Burrows, S Nicol (sub: J Molby), R Whelan, A
Hansen, P Beardsley, R Houghton, I Rush, J Barnes,