Liverpool 2 Blackburn Rovers 0 - Peter White's big match verdict

HOW Jack Walker, sat in the front row of Anfield's directors' box, must have looked on yesterday and wished he could turn back the clock.

The man whose vision, ambition and personal fortune made dreams come true was occupying the very same seat he had done three and a half years ago, when tears of joy streamed down his face as Blackburn Rovers lifted the Premiership trophy on this ground.

With the early-evening chill beginning to make its presence felt, the Rovers owner could only have winced as the same Liverpool fans who had generously applauded his 1995 triumph chanted "Going down, going down" to a club needing to face up to the cold, hard facts of life at the bottom.

Jack's dream has turned into a nightmare and, no matter how much credit you extend them for their brave performance against the odds yesterday, those facts dictate that relegation is beckoning.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier reckons his team are still "convalescing". Rovers' problem is that they have found themselves in intensive care.

Minus eight potential first-team players and, with a midfield stacked with youngsters, they responded well to Tony Parkes' leadership and gave as much as they possibly could.

But it wasn't enough and, sorry as I am to say it, Rovers continue to display all the classic symptons of a side heading for relegation.

Roy Hodgson's record over a long period of time dictated that he had to go. But it's not so much a new manager that is needed as a miracle worker, given all the circumstances.

We have seen it all before at other clubs.

Resources shredded by injury, illness and suspensions, boys being asked to do a man's job, new players struggling to justify their sky-high price tags and praiseworthy performances that earn a pat on the back but no points.

Anfield yesterday witnessed another example of the syndrome. For half an hour Rovers acquitted themselves with distinction in testing circumstances. But they failed to make it count with a goal.

Then, they had three mad -- and misfortunate -- minutes, concede two goals and the game is as good as over.

They didn't throw in the towel but, realistically, did anyone expect them to come back from a 2-0 deficit? The short answer is no. This game was settled from the 33rd minute when two slices of good luck enabled Michael Owen to score Liverpool's second and condemned Rovers to be second best again. Their supporters acknowledged the effort and spirit they put into the performance but, if you looked at the game in a cool, calculating manner, it was as good as over at half time.

Credit was due for the fact that they did not finish on the wrong end of a rout but, once they were behind, you could not see Rovers coming back.

Until Alex Ferguson came along, the general feeling in football was that you just don't win anything with 'kids'.

Even so, it remains a valid theory. And Rovers' problems were summed up by the fact that their 'kids' rated among their best players.

On the flanks, Damien Johnson and Damien Duff were two livewires.

And, in the centre of midfield, David Dunn, making his first senior start, came up against the likes of Paul Ince and relished the challenge.

But Liverpool always had the aces up their sleeve.

After an impressive opening, the home side began to look very tentative, the Anfield fans were moaning and groaning and Rovers bravely took the game to them. How different it might have been, if they had cashed in one of several opportunities, we will never know. But strikers Kevin Gallacher and Nathan Blake had chances and Johnson and Dunn were close.

The world, however, fell in on them right on the half-hour.

For much of the game, there was too much space between Rovers' midfield and defence. Whether that was because the midfield were too far forward or the defenders understandably dropped back to deny the pacey Owen space behind them is uncertain. But it contributed to the opening goal.

It still, however, needed a strike no team on earth could have stopped.

Steve Staunton played the ball forward to Robbie Fowler, who laid it off to Paul Ince in that vacant area.

From well outside the penalty area, Ince unleashed an unstoppable shot that curled and dipped, hit John Filan's right-hand post high-up and finished in the net.

Three minutes later, Ince's cross struck Fowler and rolled invitingly for Owen. Filan did brilliantly to block the striker's shot but the ball, unkindly for the keeper, went straight back to Owen and his right knee did the rest.

David James did well to keep out a Dunn header before half time and tipped over a Blake shot near the end. But, while Rovers did put the brakes on the Reds, there always looked more chance of Liverpool claiming a third than a way back into it for them.

It was a familiar story in this sorry season and it could well end in more tears, but of the wrong kind, unless Uncle Jack can suddenly come up with another magic formula.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.