Times 22/9/09
David Ngog crushes Leeds hopes that past glories might be rekindled
Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Tony Barrett
The gulf between the clubs may be greater than ever — their time as rivals competing on an even footing having long since passed — but a match between Leeds United and Liverpool remains one of the most keenly contested in English football.
Separated by two divisions but brought together by the Carling Cup, a second-half goal by David Ngog, the Liverpool forward, was all that split the Barclays Premier League title contenders from the Coca-Cola League One hopefuls.
“It was as tough a game as we have had all season,” Jamie Carragher, the Liverpool defender, said. “It was a great performance by Leeds and they’ve been a little bit unlucky that we’ve won.”
Simon Grayson, the Leeds manager, believed that the match’s outcome was determined by two decisions made by Alan Wiley, the referee. A “goal” by Jermaine Beckford was ruled out for offside, while Wiley took no punitive action against Javier Mascherano after the Liverpool midfield player caught Beckford with a flailing arm.
Just minutes later, the Argentinian was again striking, this time at goal rather than at an opponent, and his weak shot was seized upon by Ngog for the decisive goal.
“On both, sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t and we got neither,” Grayson said. “But I am immensely proud of my team because they have stood up and been counted. We have matched a top team and that says a lot about the problems we have caused them and we can take heart from that.”
The previous time the sides locked horns they were top-flight equals. Five years on, though, and such has been Leeds’s rapid decline from powerhouse to poorhouse that this third-round tie was arguably their biggest fixture of the season so far, hence the sold-out signs being displayed at Elland Road for days in advance.
For Liverpool, though, it was not even the most important game of the coming week, with matches against Hull City in the Premier League and Fiorentina in the Champions League being deemed more significant engagements, as evidenced by the weakened line-up fielded by Rafael BenÃtez, their manager.
With nine changes made from the Liverpool team that beat West Ham United on Saturday, BenÃtez followed his Carling Cup policy of using the competition to afford some of his fringe players the opportunity to prove that they are worthy of a more regular place in his team. Not too many of them managed that, although the Spaniard believed that Leeds were due credit for “working so hard in a fantastic atmosphere”. He will, though, have surely expected more from a team featuring seven full internationals against a side from two divisions below.
Had Beckford’s effort not been disallowed — in keeping with the partisanship that has characterised this fixture through the decades, BenÃtez believed the Leeds man to be offside, while Grayson thought he had been level — then Liverpool’s night could have been made even more uncomfortable.
Carragher said that he had warned “the foreign lads of what to expect” from such a fire and brimstone encounter. It could have gone either way and Leeds’s honour remains very much intact thanks to a display full of heart and endeavour that allowed them to stand toe to toe, if only for one night, with a team they once regularly shared a ring with.
Leeds United (4-4-2): S Higgs — J Crowe, P Kisnorbo, L Michalik, A Hughes (sub: N Kilkenny, 78min) — R Snodgrass, M Doyle (sub: E Showunmi, 90), J Howson, B Johnson — L Becchio (sub: M Grella, 81), J Beckford. Substitutes not used: C Ankergren, R Naylor, D Prutton, A Robinson. Booked: Crowe.
Liverpool (4-1-4-1): D Cavalieri — P Degen (sub: G Johnson, 72), J Carragher, S Kyrgiakos, A Dossena — J Mascherano — R Babel (sub: M Skrtel, 90), F Aurelio, J Spearing, A Riera — D Ngog (sub: S Gerrard, 78). Substitutes not used: J M Reina, D Plessis, A Voronin, F Torres. Booked: Kyrgiakos.
Referee: A Wiley.
Yorkshire Post 22/9/09
Leeds 0 Liverpool 1: Grayson left to rue offside decision for Leeds
Leeds United manager Simon Grayson was left to rue a disallowed goal as the Whites were edged out by Liverpool 1-0 in the Carling Cup.
David Ngog scored the only goal of the third-round tie in which the Premier League club were outplayed by the League One leaders.
Manager Grayson believed the result could have been a lot different had a first-half 'goal' stood but was proud of his players' performance.
"It must have been really close," Grayson said. "It's one of those decisions that can go for you sometimes or against you.
"Obviously it's gone against us tonight and it was a big turning point in the game because I thought we were excellent and we created really good chances but sometimes you don't get them breaks.
"Our players have been fantastic, they put in a fantastic performance against a top-drawer team.
"We gave them a real test tonight and the players can be immensely proud of what they've done.
"Unfortunately we just didn't get the win we could have had."
Grayson hopes his team bounce back quickly from tonight's disappointment and continue their stunning start to the League One season.
He added: "We want to be out of this division and tonight was a highlight of what we can produce performance-wise and what we can do as a club.
"We want to get back to this level and hopefully it's an inspiration but our bread and butter remains the league."
David Ngog crushes Leeds hopes that past glories might be rekindled
Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Tony Barrett
The gulf between the clubs may be greater than ever — their time as rivals competing on an even footing having long since passed — but a match between Leeds United and Liverpool remains one of the most keenly contested in English football.
Separated by two divisions but brought together by the Carling Cup, a second-half goal by David Ngog, the Liverpool forward, was all that split the Barclays Premier League title contenders from the Coca-Cola League One hopefuls.
“It was as tough a game as we have had all season,” Jamie Carragher, the Liverpool defender, said. “It was a great performance by Leeds and they’ve been a little bit unlucky that we’ve won.”
Simon Grayson, the Leeds manager, believed that the match’s outcome was determined by two decisions made by Alan Wiley, the referee. A “goal” by Jermaine Beckford was ruled out for offside, while Wiley took no punitive action against Javier Mascherano after the Liverpool midfield player caught Beckford with a flailing arm.
Just minutes later, the Argentinian was again striking, this time at goal rather than at an opponent, and his weak shot was seized upon by Ngog for the decisive goal.
“On both, sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t and we got neither,” Grayson said. “But I am immensely proud of my team because they have stood up and been counted. We have matched a top team and that says a lot about the problems we have caused them and we can take heart from that.”
The previous time the sides locked horns they were top-flight equals. Five years on, though, and such has been Leeds’s rapid decline from powerhouse to poorhouse that this third-round tie was arguably their biggest fixture of the season so far, hence the sold-out signs being displayed at Elland Road for days in advance.
For Liverpool, though, it was not even the most important game of the coming week, with matches against Hull City in the Premier League and Fiorentina in the Champions League being deemed more significant engagements, as evidenced by the weakened line-up fielded by Rafael BenÃtez, their manager.
With nine changes made from the Liverpool team that beat West Ham United on Saturday, BenÃtez followed his Carling Cup policy of using the competition to afford some of his fringe players the opportunity to prove that they are worthy of a more regular place in his team. Not too many of them managed that, although the Spaniard believed that Leeds were due credit for “working so hard in a fantastic atmosphere”. He will, though, have surely expected more from a team featuring seven full internationals against a side from two divisions below.
Had Beckford’s effort not been disallowed — in keeping with the partisanship that has characterised this fixture through the decades, BenÃtez believed the Leeds man to be offside, while Grayson thought he had been level — then Liverpool’s night could have been made even more uncomfortable.
Carragher said that he had warned “the foreign lads of what to expect” from such a fire and brimstone encounter. It could have gone either way and Leeds’s honour remains very much intact thanks to a display full of heart and endeavour that allowed them to stand toe to toe, if only for one night, with a team they once regularly shared a ring with.
Leeds United (4-4-2): S Higgs — J Crowe, P Kisnorbo, L Michalik, A Hughes (sub: N Kilkenny, 78min) — R Snodgrass, M Doyle (sub: E Showunmi, 90), J Howson, B Johnson — L Becchio (sub: M Grella, 81), J Beckford. Substitutes not used: C Ankergren, R Naylor, D Prutton, A Robinson. Booked: Crowe.
Liverpool (4-1-4-1): D Cavalieri — P Degen (sub: G Johnson, 72), J Carragher, S Kyrgiakos, A Dossena — J Mascherano — R Babel (sub: M Skrtel, 90), F Aurelio, J Spearing, A Riera — D Ngog (sub: S Gerrard, 78). Substitutes not used: J M Reina, D Plessis, A Voronin, F Torres. Booked: Kyrgiakos.
Referee: A Wiley.
Yorkshire Post 22/9/09
Leeds 0 Liverpool 1: Grayson left to rue offside decision for Leeds
Leeds United manager Simon Grayson was left to rue a disallowed goal as the Whites were edged out by Liverpool 1-0 in the Carling Cup.
David Ngog scored the only goal of the third-round tie in which the Premier League club were outplayed by the League One leaders.
Manager Grayson believed the result could have been a lot different had a first-half 'goal' stood but was proud of his players' performance.
"It must have been really close," Grayson said. "It's one of those decisions that can go for you sometimes or against you.
"Obviously it's gone against us tonight and it was a big turning point in the game because I thought we were excellent and we created really good chances but sometimes you don't get them breaks.
"Our players have been fantastic, they put in a fantastic performance against a top-drawer team.
"We gave them a real test tonight and the players can be immensely proud of what they've done.
"Unfortunately we just didn't get the win we could have had."
Grayson hopes his team bounce back quickly from tonight's disappointment and continue their stunning start to the League One season.
He added: "We want to be out of this division and tonight was a highlight of what we can produce performance-wise and what we can do as a club.
"We want to get back to this level and hopefully it's an inspiration but our bread and butter remains the league."