Liverpool FC: Reading The Game All Wrong

Liverpool slumped to their first Premiership defeat of the season to a determined Reading side by 3-1. Steve Coppell's team took advantage of a controversial penalty decision in the first-half to go 1-0 up against a surprisingly lacklustre Liverpool team, playing in a 4-3-3 formation. 

The back four, who have conceded only one goal in the last five games, were unusually under par. Rafael Benitez opted to rest Sami Hyypia and give Jack Hobbs, another product of Liverpool's Youth Academy, his first start alongside a Jamie Carragher who was just one yellow card away from a ban. With Manchester United visiting Anfield next week, Carragher knew better than anyone he could not risk another yellow.

That didn't stop Carragher going in for a challenge on Reading's Brynjar Gunnarsson in the first half on the edge of the area. The referee's assistant signalled penalty almost immediately, although television replays showed the challenge was outside the area. "For me it was clearly outside the area," said Benitez after the game. "Normally it would be a yellow card but it wasn't because the ref wasn't sure." And for that at least, Carragher can be grateful he will be facing his North-West rivals next week.

It's most probably why Rafa replaced Carragher in the second half instead of Jack Hobbs, with Sami Hyypia. Nevertheless, Carragher made some important challenges when he was on the field to prevent further embarassment.

However, that still doesn't explain Liverpool's lack of finishing with three proven strikers up front. Granted, Fernando Torres got into the areas and had two clear penalty decisions turned down, both as a result of challenges by Sonko, but he had to go off after the second challenge to be replaced by Kewell as Liverpool switched to 4-4-2. Kewell came close to putting Liverpool back in it with a shot that went just wide of the far post.

Andriy Voronin had a very poor game. He chose to shoot instead of crossing the ball at inappropriate moments, displaying his hunger for goal but also his lack of finishing. Peter Crouch rarely got involved in the box and once Torres was taken off had no-one to head the ball down to when given the chance. Crouch and Voronin is not a strike partnership that will work.

Ryan Babel was then brought on to replace Steven Gerrard of all people, who had hit the crossbar with a long-range effort, moments before going 3-1 down. If anyone was having a nightmare game and needed to be replaced in midfield, it was Momo Sissoko, who kept losing the ball. Taking off Torres, Gerrard and Carragher - the spine of the team - when we needed them most, it was made quite clear that Rafa was thinking about the week ahead with a midweek must-win Champions League game against Marseille and then a showdown with title rivals Manchester United, next Sunday - who don't have second round qualifications to worry about.

Sissoko improved as the game went on but unfortunately by then, it was too late. Peter Crouch hitting the post from outside the box summed up Liverpool's night. The second goal was never going to come and Reading would be worthy winners thanks to a header by Doyle from a well-taken free-kick and acres of space given to Harper for the third.

If anything can be learned from this game, it's that no game can be taken lightly and put under pressure with forthcoming games, Benitez needs to utilise his attacking options as soon as possible and think about the game that's being played now, not next week. There's no denying Rafa is still the best manager to coach this team to the title but today a combination of poor refereeing decisions, poor defending and chances not taken by the strikers, who had an off-day, all played a part in this defeat.

Let's hope the games against Marseille and Manchester United fare better.