Source: Daily_Mail
Liverpool 2 Everton 2: Dirk Kuyt saves Reds on Kenny Dalglish's Anfield return
Time to wipe away thesentimentality andnostalgia that havecharacterised thefirst week of KennyDalglish's second coming atAnfield. [LNB]The cold truth isthat Liverpool are as modesta team now as they werebefore he took over.Dalglish's return as manager hasprovided this rather mundane BarclaysPremier League season with awelcome and colourful story. [LNB]It hasbeen some week on Merseyside.Three games in and one questionremains, however. [LNB]Spot on: Dirk Kuyt scores his team's second-half equaliser with a cooly-dispatched penalty[LNB]Can Dalglishmake a significant difference to theteam he inherited from RoyHodgson? So far, the answer isunclear.Liverpool finished yesterday'sderby both frustrated and relieved if that is possible. [LNB]Frustrated that they couldn't finda winning goal as they pressedforward urgently and a littledesperately, late in the game. Yetrelieved also that six dreadful minutesat the start of the second half a period in which Everton scoredtwice didn't leave Dalglish with arather embarrassing record of threedefeats from three games. [LNB] Maximum penalty: Maxi Rodriguez is brought down by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard[LNB]Afterwards, the Scot spoke ofimprovement and the contributionof some of his younger players. Hetalked about how his team had createdthe better chances. [LNB]To listen tohim, you could have been forgivenfor thinking his side had won 3-0.What the 59-year-old will knowdeep down, though, is that his team so fluent at times when on top inthe first period defended poorlyat crucial moments and also failedto respond with any convictionafter Everton blitzed them at thestart of the second half. [LNB]Liverpool's equaliser came from apenalty with 22 minutes left. Hadthey not won that, they did not looklikely to score in open play.It is Dalglish's job to accentuatethe positive, of course. We wouldexpect nothing else. [LNB]Smells like team spirit: Liverpool celebrate after Raul Meireles's opener[LNB]There weresome positives, too. FernandoTorres played wonderfully in thefirst half and some of Liverpool'searly football was fluent.Nevertheless, they ultimately gotwhat they deserved a draw. [LNB]These sides looked average andevenly matched when the teamsheetsarrived before kick-off. Thatwas how it turned out.There was some decent footballplayed but, sadly, not enough. [LNB]For Liverpool, the better memorieswill come from the first half. Theyscored a good goal and createdchances. A little more intelligence infront of goal would have gone a longway to settling the game.Dalglish's team selection wasbrave. [LNB][LNB] Pick that out: Raul Meireles (right) blasts in the opening goal[LNB]Players likes ChristianPoulsen, Paul Konchesky and DavidN'Gog didn't make the squad. Youngmidfielder Jay Spearing, meanwhile,found himself in the team. [LNB]For 10 minutes or so, it was easy towonder whether Dalglish had erred.Torres brought an early save fromTim Howard but, other than that,the game meandered a little. [LNB]Liverpoolenjoyed the possession but,ominously as it turned out, Evertonlooked threatening at set piecesand when the ball was in the air. [LNB]Rising high: Sylvain Distin (centre) heads in Everton's first goal[LNB]As the game grew, though, so didthe hosts and Torres, in particular.His touch was assured, his strengthand turn of pace reminiscent of hisfirst two years at Anfield. [LNB]In the 17th minute, the Spaniardturned Sylvain Distin and left himbehind. He cut inside JohnHeitinga and curled a shot againstthe far post. [LNB]Dirk Kuyt blazed therebound over the bar.Encouraged, Liverpool developedsome precious momentum and 12minutes later they scored. [LNB]Glen Johnson did not always lookcomfortable at left back. He is, afterall, predominantly right-footed.[LNB]Shock on the cards: Jermaine Beckford (centre) joins the Everton fans after putting his side in front[LNB] [LNB]But he broke well down the flankon the half-hour and when Howardsaved twice from Kuyt at the farpost once from a header andagain from the follow-up RaulMeireles drilled the ball high in tothe net from 15 yards. [LNB]The next 15 minutes proved disappointingfor Liverpool. As Evertonlooked ragged, the home teamplayed their best football but didn'tscore again. Torres had a shot savedand Maxi Rodriguez couldn't keepthe rebound down. [LNB] Return of the king: The Kop display a banner honouring returning Reds boss Kenny Dalglish (right)[LNB] Meireles thenran on to a superb Kuyt pass toshoot at Howard when Torres wasunmarked to his left and, finally,Maxi could only drive a shot straightat the goalkeeper after the awayside conceded possession cheaply.[LNB]At the interval, Anfield was largelya happy place. There had beensome good football to watch andmuch to talk about. Everton,though, emerged looking a differentteam for the second half. [LNB] Within a minute, Distin headedthe equaliser after creeping to theback post from a corner and then,in the 52nd minute, Leon Osmanran on to a Victor Anichebe knockdown and fed Jermaine Beckford,who scored from 10 yards. [LNB]Enlarge Dalglish later complained aboutboth goals but without muchjustification.In six minutes the game hadchanged and now Liverpool hadbeen presented with a real test. [LNB]Didthey have the character, resolveand patience to respond?Certainly they were not short ofendeavour but by now the inspirationand rhythm of the first half hadleft them. [LNB]In truth they didn't createanything.The penalty that arrived whenHoward felled Maxi in the 68thminute came out of nowhere andserved as something of a relief. [LNB]Kuyt showed the required courageby striking the spot kick lowand true to the goalkeeper's right. [LNB]Aferwards Dalglish was entertainingand quick-witted in his pressconference.It will take more than that to getthis group of players moving in theright direction. Nostalgia only getsyou so far.[LNB] PREMIER LEAGUE LIVE: Liverpool v Everton - all the action as it happenedKenny Dalglish: We can't live on past glories for ever at LiverpoolKenny Dalglish: Millionaire stars should be forever grateful to '61 heroes Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher admits: We're not good enoughBaines: I was axed by England boss Capello outside Toys 'R' UsPienaar blues for Redknapp: Everton midfielder set for Chelsea switchLIVERPOOL FC
