The Reds were left with a point after a poor afternoon's work at home to Stoke in which we managed just one shot on target - and I don't remember that one causing any problems. We started the game - completed it in fact playing five at the back which clearly did not work on a day when we needed to go at Stoke and invent chances.
The Reds started the game attacking the Anny road end in the first half and Carragher lined up as the central man with Skrtel and Coates either side. The idea was then to use Enrique and Johnson as wing backs but we just never moved the ball out there enough and then any time when we did start moving forward we were left looking at an empty penalty area.
Both halves of the game were quite similar and even after personnel changes further up top we just didn't get going in this one and it will be one of the easiest points that Stoke have claimed at Anfield ever.
Etherington shot wide early on in the game and on ten minutes Adam missed a chance from a Reds corner but chances were at a premium.
One thing that the five man defence allows is the centre back to stride out and it's a shame Agger wasn't available as he's our best at doing that. Seb Coates did have a chance doing that on sixteen minutes and nearly dribbled his way through the whole Stoke side only to win a corner as he neared their area.
On twenty seven minutes we did create a good opportunity as Skrtel threaded a ball across the box which Adam just couldn't quite get on the end of. A couple of minutes later and a tackle on Adam by Shawcross resulted in the first booking of the afternoon.
Just after the half hour and Downing turned inside from the right wing and raced forward only to send his shot a few feet over the bar with it still rising. Two minutes later and it was Gerrard's turn to shoot from distance and like Downing miss the target.
Just before half time and Glen Johnson sent a great ball across the area but typical of the afternoon there wasn't a single Reds shirt there busting a gut to get on the end of it. We really were missing a poacher to stay in the box on the day and this typified it.
Half time came and for me we really needed to be changing it at the time because it wasn't working at all. Both Andy Carroll and Craig Bellamy were on the bench and surely one of those were going to come on and you could easily change it around.
The sides came back out and no changes were made sadly so it was as you were and the action was pretty much as you were as well. We were getting plenty of the ball and often the territory as well but it all stopped when we got near their area. All too often we would go inside and then it all gets so congested that it eye of the needle stuff to create that clear chance.
It took ten minutes of the same rubbish before the bench finally sprung in to action with Carroll getting ready for the action and he replaced Downing. The sub did frustrate a few people that the winger you bought to supply crosses to Carroll was taken off. In fairness though Downing's crossing ability has been rather poor all season so he has this to work on still and we did have two wing backs still on the pitch.
Andy Carroll raced straight in to the action as we had the chance to put the ball in to the box but nothing came of it. After falling over twice when he came on Carroll was forced in to changing his boots which took an age to take place and then the fourth official wouldn't let him back on - you'd think you would have tested out your boots in the warm up before the game!
The Reds were now trying to up the pace a bit and have a go at Stoke but the chances were all coming from outside the box and were always off target or getting blocked - sometimes by our own man.
As the frustration levels started to grow around Anfield we made a further change with Bellamy replacing Henderson in midfield.
A corner kick was being readied now by the Reds and Carroll and Carragher were being pushed all over the place and the ref stepped in to warn the Stoke players. Despite the warning from the ref he ignored it all once the ball came in and ignored the Reds being bundled to the floor. Once you warn the defender you are clearly saying you are seeing what's going on - so you must do something about it. At one point Carroll was caught in a headlock to prevent him getting anywhere near the ball - typical Stoke tactics but that's when you need a ref to stand up to them.
On seventy seven minutes we really should have scored though as an Enrique cross managed to find Kuyt at the back post but his header went agonisingly the wrong side of the post with Sorensen rooted to his spot.
With seven minutes to go the ref finally decided that after what must have been twenty warnings that Sorensen should be booked for time wasting. I'm sure a ref has this in built thing whereby they can't book you for time wasting too early because of you do it again they'd have to send them off and keepers well know this.
Martin Skrtel went close on eighty six minutes but after heading the ball down from a corner it bounced up and over the bar. It was all starting to feel a little too much too late though now as we still weren't creating enough clear chances. Stoke may have parked the bus in front of the Kop but we have to learn to get past it.
Even with four minutes of added time we just couldn't create that chance to open the scoring and the ref blew his whistle and a very frustrating afternoon at Anfield. That's seven draws at home now and this is one of the more frustrating as we just never looked like scoring.
MotM : Martin Skrtel - played well at the back and was the centre back pushing on most to try and supplement the attack.
