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| An impeccably observed minutes silence at the Madejski... Image: mirror.co.uk |
A strong side fielded by Brendan Rodgers saw Liverpool play with Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho in attack. It was a fairly good start for Liverpool really who fully utilised their strengthened attack namely the link up between Suarez and Coutinho. These two appear to click together like puzzle pieces and one always seems to know what the other is doing.
In a game that saw plenty of chances for Liverpool too many to discuss the first fell to Luis Suarez after a ball was fed through to him from Coutinho. Suarez as always was creating chances and if it wasn't for Chris Gunter on the line saving Reading's bacon the Uruguayan could have put the Reds ahead.
It didn't take long to realise though in this first half that Liverpool would have to create something special if they wanted to get anything past the impressive McCarthy. Denying Sturridge, Suarez and Coutinho before the half time whistle Liverpool needed to reconsider their options during their team talk.
Just after half time and Liverpool very nearly got the game underway unfortunately for Coutinho though he was ruled offside and the Reds were left to search some more for that elusive first goal of the game.
Reading during the first half hadn't troubled Pepe Reina and he was left relatively jobless but this would change in the latter section of this half when Reading began to find some footing.
Reina made some cracking saves to keep Liverpool in a game they should by all means have been winning but the game ran all the way to the whistle without either side finding a winner.
I hate matches like this because not only does it create a struggle when writing a post but it's so unbelievably frustrating to watch. Liverpool had 26 shots yesterday 15 of which were on target and not one found its way into the back of the net. Arguably Reading's keeper was the sole reason for this but there were times where on another day a shot would have found its way through or not trickled wide.
We still have a problem in terms of the lack of a real clinical finisher I think, I still like Daniel Sturridge and feel he could complete that job but after hitting the ground running you'd be a liar to be happy with his most recent performances in a red shirt.
With 7th place all we have left to hold on to we didn't do ourselves any favours on Saturday, add to that the ever increasing sourness of Everton sitting pretty above us and well it's turning in to quite a dire end to the season, I just hope that in our next fixture we turn things around.
And strangely enough I think we will turn it around because it's Chelsea and for some reason we play a hell of a lot better against a team that will come out and attack us and Chelsea most definitely will.