The clock was showing 86 minutes when Biscan climbed above the rest to nod home Djimi Traore’s cross after a corner taken short by Steven Gerrard. Until Biscan’s intervention, Bolton looked likeliest to break the stalemate, and a point apiece would have been the most equitable outcome to a mundane match.
Both these teams harbour Champions League aspirations, which were encouraged by the news that their European rivals, Charlton, had dropped two points at home to Manchester City. But the 90 minutes that followed suggested the Champions League will hardly be the poorer if they both miss out. The football quality on show never rose above mediocre.
The initial surprises came early with the arrival of the Liverpool teamsheet: Scott Carson, their rookie keeper, was given his second start in the Premiership, ahead of Jerzy Dudek, while Fernando Morientes had to be content with a place on the bench, with Gerrard supporting Luis Garcia.
Gerrard has been used as a striker before, but the experiment is unlikely to be repeated. The England stalwart is many things, but he is not a striker, and Liverpool missed his match-winning influence in midfield. His removal from the central crucible gave them the worst of both worlds.
The received wisdom has it that Carson is better at combatting crosses than Dudek, and with the ball in the air so often whenever Bolton are around, the £500,000 recruit from Leeds was deemed the better bet. The decision was a good one, fully vindicated. Benitez has joined the critics of Bolton’s robust, land-of-the-giants style, and the Liverpool manager will not have been at all surprised when they began with a flurry of the set piece routines that are so profitable for “ Big Sam” and his leviathans.
Allardyce always objects to such talk. “It’s disappointing to hear it from Liverpool,” he said, “because we’re better than them.” When it was pointed out that Jose Mourinho and Graeme Souness had also condemned Bolton’s Wimbledon-esque tactics, he replied: “It’s music to my ears because it shows that I’m probably a better manager than they are.”
Stelios Giannakopoulos did threaten from two Bolton set pieces in the first nine minutes, but Carson saved the meaty drive after a misplaced clearance by Mauricio Pellegrino; then Steve Finnan headed a goalbound shot off the line.
Jamie Carragher almost gifted Bolton the lead, when he seemed to have beaten his goalkeeper with a headed backpass, and he was visibly relieved when Carson recovered to pull off a notable, reaching save. Penned in by the big men at the consequent corner, Liverpool were unable to clear their lines and Kevin Nolan’s follow-up shot had the young keeper in action again.
Liverpool, to their credit, tried to get the ball down and pass it, but their efforts lacked cohesion, and it was the 28th minute before they were able to test Jussi Jaaskelainen for the first time — Gerrard’s rasping free kick forcing the Finnish keeper to plunge to the foot of his right-hand post.
After an undistinguished first half there were welcome signs of improvement early in the second, when Liverpool would have gone ahead but for a sprawling save by Jaaskelainen — low to his left, to keep out the crisp drive with which Antonio Nunez met John Arne Riise’s cross from the left.
Liverpool were soon back, and Tal Ben Haim cleared a shot off the line from Riise. It was the adventurous Norwegian’s last contribution. Almost immediately he gave way to Anthony Le Tallec, whose introduction up front at last gave Liverpool a focal point for their attacks. Bolton always seemed the best bet to make the breakthrough in the closing stages. First Nolan, with a through pass, threatened to make a goal for substitute Henrik Pedersen after Biscan had carelessly conceded possession in midfield.
Then fellow reserve Jay-Jay Okocha had Carson scrambling to turn away a trademark 25-yarder. And, finally, Finnan headed off the line from Kevin Davies. But with five minutes of normal time remaining, enter the man the fans salute as “Igor”, in Boris Karloff tones, to send Anfield into ecstasy.
Bring on Juventus? They will hardly be quaking, but then the same was said of Bayer Leverkusen in the last round. Allardyce, always quotable, said he was “slightly gutted”. Invited to elaborate, he did so at some length, the gist of his comments being that he would have been “disappointed with a draw”, and that Bolton should have had the game won “in the first ten minutes”.
Good Ol’ Sam. It’s not only his team’s passing that is over the top. Carlos Alberto, that noted “size-ist”, would love Bolton. Not a midget in sight.