Liverpool 2 Blackburn Rovers 1: match report

By Rory Smith at Anfield Published: 8:00AM GMT 01 March 2010

Out in front: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard celebrates his winning idea opposite Blackburn at Anfield Photo: RETUERS

Some things never change. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres can regularly be relied on to rescue Liverpool from the jaws of defeat, El-Hadji Diouf never fails to rile antithesis fans, players and the open at large and the mutual charge in in between Rafael Benítez and Sam Allardyce frequency dips subsequent simmering.

Even by their standards, yesterday represented a low or high point. The compound was illuminated the impulse Allardyce chose to indicate prior to kick-off that Liverpools stream incarnation had eschewed the cultured in office of victory. The fireworks shortly followed.

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On the pitch, there was a bad-tempered, querulous win for Liverpool, goals from Gerrard and Torres, distant by a Keith Andrews penalty, keeping Benitezs side in hold with Tottenham and Manchester City, and noted by Blackburns skirmish from splendid begin in to bruising savagery .

Even that, though, was not a vegetable patch on the exposed feeling in in between the managers. Allardyce went first, fortifying his right to criticize Benítez on the drift that the Liverpool physical education instructor had lashed out at him "personally many, most times before," even if nothing of them had been this week.

"I usually have a go at Liverpool given Liverpool have a go at me," he said. "I am entitled to reply when he criticises me. If you do not assimilate that, afterwards you are deluded."

Benítez, too, spurned the possibility to fool around the diplomat. "Some people have to speak prior to or after a diversion given the football pursuit is some-more formidable for them," he said. "If Blackburn are happy to fool around football the approach they do underneath this physical education instructor afterwards that is fine.

"I think this character is the undiluted indication for all the managers all over the world. Parents will suffer it and inspire their kids to fool around similar to this. I think Barcelona are meditative of duplicating this style. This physical education instructor is an e.g. for the approach you wish to be on and off the pitch."

It was no warn that Benítez was in such sardonic mood. Blackburn had five players requisitioned and could simply have seen two, Steven Nzonzi and Pascal Chimbonda, dismissed, the former grappling Lucas to the building and the latter kicking out at Maxi Rodriguez. Diouf, predictably, outlayed his afternoon baiting the throng and contrary with Gerrard.

Allardyce insisted the five bookings were "not a thoughtfulness on the approach we played. But if you wish to write that, thats your responsibility."

It is, and it was, for all that Blackburn began the diversion in considerable fashion, going close by Christopher Samba and Nikola Kalinic. Then Gerrard, ripping on to a Yossi Benayoun pass, handed Liverpool a scarcely-warranted lead. Benítez could have had no complaints when Andrews leveled from the mark after Jamie Carraghers handball.

Under threat, Liverpool clicked in to gear, Torres scoring his 13th of the deteriorate in his initial diversion given January, drumming home Maxis cranky after Sambas shifting plunge in to had denied the Spaniard a shot as he detonate in to the box.

Blackburn responded with a bombardment, Liverpools nerves pushing them ever deeper in to their own box, but Allardyces side could not land a torpedo blow. Neither, for now, could possibly manager. It is doubtful to stop them perplexing again when they subsequent meet.