Liverpool have won their first piece of silverware for six long years, something a club with Liverpool's great history and winning story has found hard to swallow. At the end of the game, before Kenny Dalglish picked up his first winners medal since lifting the Premier League crown with Blackburn in 1995, the Liverpool boss looked to have shed a tear. The tears of joy are something Dalglish denied, but it could have so nearly been tears of sorrow after the boys from the Welsh capital did the Championship, their club, and country, proud. Liverpool won't take too much from the performance other than the result, but the game showed their problems this season.
At the back they are fairly solid and limited Cardiff to only a few real chances, the difference between the two teams was how clinical they were in front of goal. Where Cardiff were clinical and efficient, Liverpool were again lacking and deficient. All season Liverpool have created chances for their forwards and midfielders, but just haven't converted enough of these opportunities. One reason they haven't score as many goals as they should is perhaps down to three of their 'new' signings, Stuart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. Downing, although voted 'Man of the Match' for his performance yesterday, (which took a few by surprise) had a pretty poor final ball and even when he did get to the byline or made space for a cross more often than not it didn't beat the first man, or floated over the head of Liverpool's flat footed forwards. Jordan Henderson looked off the pace against more experienced, and frankly better Championship players. His level looks to be Championship at best at the moment, his season was encapsulated by his reckless yellow card. In a good area with the ball on the edge of the box he took too long to make a decision, dallied and lost the ball then went straight through the man who had dispossessed him with a desperate lunge. John W. Henry the Liverpool owner may have wondered why he parted with the better part of 20 million quid for him as he was hooked off after 58 minutes. Charlie Adam, so deadly from dead ball situations at Blackpool last year ballooned his penalty in the shoot out so badly it showed how far he's dropped off from his credible form last season, maybe it's all the extra running he does now in midfield and the fact he's not the focal point of the attack, again, the harsh truth is, he's just not good enough to do that and boss the midfield in Liverpool or any other Premiership team worth their salt.
All this doesn't take away from the fact that they dug in and got the result the club needed.
It will be interesting to see if this result spurs Liverpool on for the rest of the season, and helps them get a good run in the FA Cup and maybe the final Champions League spot.
With the strength of the squad looking the best it has in a long time, but still far off the pace in the title race it'll be a few seasons more of building before they get up to where they, and King Kenny, believe they belong.
A wins a win, a trophy is a trophy and although it was nerve racking for all the Liverpool fans, the right result (for them) came in the end. Lucky for us Anthony Gerrard (part of the Stevie G family clan) takes a penalty like his more famous cousin. Not very well. Well played to Cardiff, and congratulations to Liverpool! Carling Cup Champions 2011/12, and a thought for Anthony Gerrard, sad day for him as he announced on twitter after...
“Sorry to everyone!”
“I can’t close my eyes wid out seeing that penalty!! It’s goin to haunt me for the rest of my days! Head is mashed!”
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