Liverpool find themselves in the relegation places after a 2-1 home defeat to plucky Blackpool and on this showing can have no complaints over their league position. Roy Hodgson must be wondering how much worse Liverpool's season can get after an Anfield defeat to newly promoted Blackpool who themselves are favourites for a swift return to the Championship.
On this showing though it is the Reds who have most to fear from the drop as the Seasiders fully deserved the three points after going in at the break 2-0 ahead, conceded an early goal in the second half but then defended well to frustrate the home side.
Charlie Adam put the visitors ahead when he drove in a penalty after Glen Johnson tripped Luke Varney.
Varney then doubled the visitors advantage with a goal on the stroke of half time. The home side were booed off as they left the field.
A 54th minute Sotirios Kyrgiakos header gave the Reds hope and he almost levelled in injury-time but was denied by a superb save by keeper Matt Gilks.
Liverpool improved after the break but lacked the guile to breakdown an obdurate Blackpool rearguard, whose forwards were always a threat on the break.
Liverpool scorers: Kyrgiakos, 53 Blackpool scorers: Adam (pen) 29, Varney 45+1
Referee: Mike Jones
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool Attendance: 43,156
LIVERPOOL 25 Reina (yellow card) 02 G Johnson 16 Kyrgiakos (yellow card) 23 Carragher 37 Skrtel 04 Raul Meireles 08 Gerrard 10 Cole (Maxi 88) 28 C Poulsen (Jovanovic 60) 09 Torres (Ngog 10) 18 Kuyt
Substitutes 01 Jones, 34 Kelly, 17 Maxi, 21 Lucas, 26 Spearing, 14 Jovanovic, 24 Ngog
BLACKPOOL 21 Gilks 03 Crainey 05 Eardley (Phillips 46) 06 Evatt 20 Cathcart (Keinan 20) 11 Vaughan 14 Grandin (Southern 63) 26 Adam 12 Taylor-Fletcher (yellow card) 16 Varney 39 Campbell
Substitutes 13 Halstead, 31 Keinan, 04 Southern, 19 Sylvestre, 23 Phillips, 09 Harewood, 10 Ormerod
