West Brom battled back from 2-0 down but relegation is now a real worry for them.
Liverpool will be disappointed to have allowed the Baggies back into this tie.
Thank you all for enjoying the game with us today, and for your contributions in the comment section.
Until next time, goodbye!
FT: West Brom 2-2 Liverpool
After dominating for much of this game, Liverpool are on the back foot now as West Brom look to get the winner.
GOAL! Salomon Rondon makes it 2-2.
Brilliant run by Burke and he’s brought down by Henderson to give West Brom a chance to manufacture a goal from a free-kick.
Chamberlain whips in an inviting cross and finds Firmino. His header tests Foster but it West Brom are spared.
Liverpool substitution:
84′: Salah makes way as Dejan Lovren comes into the game.
That was Livermore’s first ever goal for the Baggies. Meanwhile, Salah is on his 31st Premier League goal and 41 for the season.
GOAL! Jake Livermore scores for West Brom to make it 2-1.
Blimey, it’s taken @22mosalah 72 minutes to score. Almost qualifies as a drought.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 21, 2018
GOAL! Mo Salah makes it 2-0 to Liverpool
West Brom really need to get a goal to strengthen their hopes of staying in the Premier League.
Liverpool’s Gomez closing in on McClean
Liverpool substitutions:
65′: Roberto Firmino replaces Ings and Mane makes way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Nifty bit of footwork from James Milner to cut inside, but can’t get the shot off.
Liverpool appear to getting ready to make some changes.
Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain look to be the ones about to make an introduction.
Brilliant footwork from Phillips to cut in along the end line. He tries to send the ball into Rodriguez but it’s deflected out for a corner.
McClean tries to cut the ball across, but Van Dijk sends it back out. Ings then commits a foul on Rodriguez, although he appears to be claiming that Rodriguez struck him in the chest while they were on the ground.
Replays suggest that Rodriguez did make contact.
CLOSE!!
Rondon almost managed to sneak in there after a long ball in from Foster, but Liverpool alleviate the danger and drill the ball back up the pitch.
Danny Ings' early effort gives the Reds the lead but Baggies are growing into the game #WBALIV pic.twitter.com/J1HDTDc5bZ
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 21, 2018
Ings goes down following a challenge from Dawson in the penalty area but the referee waves play on.
That was a first goal for Ings in 930 days, and he really should have scored a second.
HT: West Brom 0-1 Liverpool
SAVE!!
Ings should have two goals but Foster gets down well to keep it out. Again Salah played an instrumental role in the move.
CLOSE!!
Huge opportunity for West Brom there. Great work from Livermore to chip the ball across the Liverpool box. McClean gets a touch on it but Rodriguez can’t get into the net.
West Brom starting to come into the tie more.
Phillips forces Liverpool to concede a throw and they’re pressing the Liverpool cover. Making good use of the width of the pitch.
CLOSE!!
Another inviting corner in for West Brom but again Dawson fails to connect with it.
Brunt delivers in a corner for West Brom. Dawson runs from deep and tries to get a header on it, but it runs past him.
Rondon slides in with a risky challenge but after getting a talking to from the ref, he manages to escape a yellow card.
Another Liverpool free for a challenge on Mo Salah. He is causing a lot of damage to West Brom’s defence.
But the opportunity comes to nothing and the home fans can breathe again.
It’s not a bad effort off his left boot but he just steers the ball off target. Liverpool are quite dominant in the opening 25 minutes.
Great ball in from Milner. He whips the delivery in well, but it’s a poor header in the end from Ings.
He delivers the ball into Salah shortly after, who wins a free in a dangerous position just outside the box.
Phillips is causing some problems for Liverpool. He gets a shot off at Karius, but doesn’t have enough power in it and it’s an easy save.
Brilliant play from Phillips. He turns inside his man and loops in a lovely cross in trying to link up with James McClean but it’s headed out for a corner.
Good response from the Baggies.
Salah comes threatening again, dancing his way through the West Brom cover, but a Baggies’ boot comes across to cut the ball out of play.
West Brom struggling to deal with the Egyptian King at this early stage and there’s a long way to go in this tie.
Great link-up play between Gomez and Salah in the West Brom danger area.
Great shimmy from Salah to put him through one-on-one but his effort sails over.
YES! WHAT A START!
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 21, 2018
[0-1]#WBALIV pic.twitter.com/vBuJX6UIPh
GOAL!!
Danny Ings puts Liverpool in front on 4 minutes. Great asssist by Mane.
Rondon gets on the end of the ball and tries to muscle his way past Klavan, but the referee blows the whistle for a free against him.
Liverpool move the ball up the other end and put in a dangerous cross, but it goes out for a corner which Salah will take.
And we are off at The Hawthorns. It’s the third meeting this season between the sides.
Weather looks good at The Hawthorns. Not long now until kick-off.
West Brom Starting XI:
Foster, Nyom, Gibbs, Livermore, Rondon, Phillips, Brunt, McClean, Rodriguez, Dawson, Hegazi.
📷 An unchanged XI...#WBALIV #COYB #WBA pic.twitter.com/Jtw2IqhuL9
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) April 21, 2018
Liverpool Starting XI:
Karius, Gomez, Van Dijk, Klavan, Moreno, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mane, Ings
📋 The #LFC team to face @WBA...#WBALIV 👉 https://t.co/6XOx3UJ7x7 pic.twitter.com/BdTIwhw7jF
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 21, 2018
Hello and welcome to The42′s coverage of today’s Premier League clash between West Brom and Liverpool at The Hawthorns.
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Sad to see him go but more power to the guy. Always preferred a guy who backs himself than stays put. Really hope it works out for him.
“Healy has struggled to nail down a regular place” … he’s played more than both Joey and Crowley?
@thesaltyurchin: Lately though, this season alone, he hasn’t been starting and establishing himself as the prime 10, let’s be honest. It’s been either Joey or Jack who played in the 10 role.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: You’re correct, this season he’s played: 7 times, 2 tries, 6 pen, 6 con, 40 points, 282 minutes. Joey has played: 10 times, 2 tries, 7 pen, 16 con, 641 minutes. Crowely has played: 10 times, 0 tries, 3 pens, 1 con, 11 points, 530 minutes. (semantics but allow me! figures from all.rugby). There are arguments to counter the media rhetoric, but I’ll leave it alone now.
Stick Joey at 15
Crowley at 12
Ben Healy at 10
Just for one game
@Mossy Devaney: I wouldn’t be sure that playing your 1st and 2nd choice no 10s out of position, in order to accommodate your 3rd choice no 10, is a particularly attractive strategy
@Mossy Devaney: … I have the IRFU for you on line one?
@Mossy Devaney: There’d be some smug looks from Leinster if Joey played at 15
@thesaltyurchin: the IRFU gave u Carberry (made a mess of him), Tadhg Beirne, Conway etc. Bizarrely gave Earls and Murray recent central contracts and are subsidizing Zebos fat salary so I’d stop your moaning
@Macodub: Exacty! why? Take Zebos kilo of hotdogs and give them to a younger player? Nah, the bai’s have a right to a chilled retirement. Don’t want joey, not sure who Conway is, and Beirne, he probs didn’t wana to go back to Leinster given his rise (we’ll keep him tho! lol). would rather they jogged on tbf, they have created this semi-state culture.
@Mossy Devaney: too Late now
@Macodub: Can you enlighten us as to what ‘Fat Salary’ Zebo is on?
This can’t be right, Jim Demps said it was all a media fabrication ?
Why is this allowed to happen?
Ben Healy will be a huge loss to Irish rugby we cannot afford to lose quality players .
Bloody careless someone has messed up .
@Mike Morris: How do you keep player , when he wants to leave. Don’t get it.
What are Munster suppose to do. Can’t forse him to stay.
So tell me, what are they suppose to do.
@Mike Morris: I know that the lack of transparency causes conspiracy theories but there must be some useless people at Munster the way these situations arrive, always at Munster, never any other province. No smoke with fire I reckon, Wood was recently moved onto the board, would love to know wtf is going on behind the scenes. Limerick rugby + Politics is notoriously a shambles, always has been. Don’t buy that he ‘wants’ to leave, never had that impression. Did Cronin want to leave, or Ryan? Don’t think so, some other moron called that, but not this? yea right.
@Paddy Waggon: They could play him more often so he doesn’t want to leave. The last 2 appearances against South Africa and Ulster he was class.
@thesaltyurchin: Always at Munster, never anywhere else? Really? What about Tommy Seymour? Very very similar, left Ulster as wing opportunities were limited, half Scottish like Healy, and went on to be not only play for Scotland became a Lion as well. Or Steenson, won everything there is to win at Club level at OH for Exeter Chiefs, same as Ian Whitten. But sure it only happens at Munster.
@thesaltyurchin: “Limerick Rugby plus politics” …obviously you haven’t a clue about who have been in the decision making positions re player recruitment / retention for the last number of years. If you did, you’d know your statement makes absolutely no sense. Outside of munster, nucifora also has a huge say on who goes or stays including holding the purse strings.
@thesaltyurchin: would you ever give it a rest and maybe do some googling? He was reported as turning down the 2 year deal last year specifically to keep his options open. Glasgow were after him at the time. He’s a confident and talented player with dual loyalties, he’s but really closer to being first choice for Munster now and instead another genuine option has emerged to affect his minutes, why would he not look at Edinburgh and think he could be first choice there and play international to boot.
@Keith McNamara: Oh no doubt IRFU are dictating, isn’t that why we loads of players hanging about sitting on their hands. Can’t go here or there, do what you’re told, play this nothing A-game instead of making the AIL better etc. I stand by the politics comment, any Limerick rugby fan older than 30 knows exactly what I mean, state of the clubs?
@Kingshu: Correct, had forgotten about Tommy Seymour actually. You know how it goes on here… If a tree falls in the woods.. Munster rugby ;)
@Paddy Waggon: right now he’s better than Burns, Carty and many people would pick him over Carbery. This a blow for Munster but it’s a big loss to Ireland when you consider our long term options at 10
@Emmet Martin: seconded. Burns good enough for ulster but that’s it. Carty too hit and miss. Leinster pssng about with the Byrnes. Carbery should have nbeen shipped out ages ago. What a mess.
@Mike Morris:
Well his mother is Scottish and he took the opportunity to seek new pastures and try his luck to making his mark as a Scottish International.
Good luck to him an I hope he does well.
It shows he has ambition
Is Joey a better prospect than Ben going forward?…Doubt it.
@Leonard O’mahony: nope
@Leonard O’mahony: He was till he went to Munster
@Riaf: He came to Munster because he wasn’t good enough at Leinster.
Yep. The update confirms it. Ben will leave home shores and head to Scotland. And honestly, I can only be happy for him.
I think this is the best move for his career. At least for now anyway. All I can do as a Munsterman is wish him the very best of luck at season’s end. Hopefully, if he has a stellar time of it over there, he can come back someday.
Thanks for your services Ben.
Can’t be the only one who thinks he’d be a good fit for Connacht???
@sus domesticus: unfortunately going to Connacht is not a fast track for playing for Ireland
@sus domesticus: I can see why Connacht fans get annoyed, always the same line, someone underperforms send them west. Why not have someone who could actually be amazing for them go? like Joey for example.
@sus domesticus: ….or Ulster
@sus domesticus: I agree!
@thesaltyurchin: no thanks Joey can stay where he is.
@Patrick Breen: Damnit!!..
I don’t honk there is so much talent in Irish rugby that the IRFU can afford to let Healy go without a fight.
Effectively, he is not in the ideal position he wishes to be as he is stuck in the middle between a senior in Joey and a junior in Jack.
I think I’d head off if I were him. No doubt Joey will get another contract and Jack is pretty much being considered a future 10 going forward. Plus, his talent will not be used properly by both Munster and Ireland. Why should we try and keep him?
Seeing as he is half Scottish, makes perfect sense that heading over to Edinburgh, once he establishes himself there, he will be considered a future 10 for Scotland. And that is no joke by any means. Scotland need an ideal 10 moving forward and Healy is more than capable.
I say let him go. If he says he will leave, don’t bother trying to get him to stay. After all, look at the state of the province and where they have been for over a decade. Clearly, the expectations have had to drop significantly.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: You’ll be togging off when they’re both on hollibobs from internationals is it?
@thesaltyurchin: Hell if I know.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: ‘Hell if’ anyone at Munster has even thought of yet, Flannery up at Ulster, they’ll be sending Harry Byrne down next, ffs. IRFU need to get out of it.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: what about keeping players happy. I’d like to agree Daniel, but I’m not convinced, for example, looking at all the players playing in Leinster, yet you don’t really hear of this unrest. The academy fly half for Leinster has played URC this season, has Munsters? Despite all the players they have, you can still pick the first 15 for a big game.
Leinster has Johnnny, Ross B, Harry B, and Ciaran Frawley (injured) all for 10 and not a beep about it .. why?
@Fergal Doyle: That’s what I mean, Leinster have their house in order and Munster never really did. I doubt Munster have ever heard of ‘sport psychology’, (something Lancaster is massive on). Anyway its all moot now, we can move on.
Would have been smarter to let Carbery go….losing a good young talent….
@Kieran Hayes: totally agree
Big loss tbh. Ignoring the fighting going on here in the comments. More should have been to keep him in Ireland be it moving another ten around or something reports are now Jake is coming back from Ulster? Madness, give them Joey and let us keep Ben I’d say
@: why give them Joey?. He’s been a revelation at provincial and National level previously. Has been solid albeit not spectacular since coming back from injury and is still in his twenties. Crowley has not been a revelation at 10!! Last weekend proved that. A super athlete and has the X factor but only when he moved from 10 did he show his class v Ulster. Keep Carberry! Shame to see Healy leave but he didn’t want to be a player on the bench and he was offered a new and improved contract.
@Simon Kerins: look i don’t want a argument over this but Joey has not been anything of the sort. He’s been bang average from a Munster perspective for near three years and I know about injuries and everything but like fact of the matter is he’s 26 injury prone and not progressed since we signed him really. Honestly hand on heart I’d have more confidence in Healy over Joey if one had to start a big European game for munster tomerrow
@: I still have faith/hope in Joey but shame to see Ben Healy leave. Offered an improved contract by all accounts but didn’t want to be number 2/3 which is a fair expectation.
Very disappointing
I’m not sure he’s that big a loss. He’s 22 and doesn’t get picked for his home club as much as he’d like for 1 season because clearly the coaches think the other two 10s are playing better. But rather than train harder, work harder to make yourself 1st choice, he takes the easy option and moves to a smaller club and a weaker nation. With that mindset I wouldn’t want him playing for Ireland and if I was a munster supporter wouldn’t be mourning the loss. Its not like he’s Cooney, at the other end of his career, that would be more understandable, but 22? A bit spoilt in my opinion.
@amusing_musings: Exactly. He’s still very young. First set back in his career and he jumps ship rather than fighting for his place. He might be on better money in Scotland but it wasn’t his life’s ambition to play for them or Edinburgh. With no clear successor to Sexton it was very likely he’d be capped sooner rather than later. This decision reminds me of JJ going to Northampton, but unlike JJ, there’s no way back for Healy once he goes. I think he’ll look back and regret it. So young to make such a big call in his career. He was involved in some big Champions Cup games last season. He likely won’t be again for rest of his career.
@amusing_musings: seeing as he’s been playing better than the other 10’s in the country bar Sexton I think he’s right to leave. Frawley was brought to New Zealand instead of him and Crowley was capped before him. Both are terrible decisions by the IRFU.
@Mike Looney 88: apparently the Munster and Irish coaches don’t agree with you.
@amusing_musings: no they’d rather bring a 12 from Leinster on tour as a 10, than a 10 from Munster on tour for some reason.
@amusing_musings: He’ll be 24 in June.
Very disappointing when you see all the opportunities he has and will get but hey best of luck to him as it is his career
@Scott Crossfield: To be honest Scott, he’s not getting the right ones. We’re wasting his talent and Ireland will do the exact same as well. He’s better off developing his career elsewhere.
Think this is a moment that Ireland and Munster will look back on with regrets.
Think the Sexton successor question is wide open and Healy had as much going for hin as any of his rivals, and had more of a track record over the last couple of seasons than any of the others.
Granted he doesn’t have the dancing feet, but there is something in the steely mentality of young lad that screams international 10.
Think the Ulster game showed a glimpse of what a Healy/ Crowley combo could have been.
The real sickner is he will be Scotland capped, so a return won’t even happen unlike previous young lads who struck out for gametime and a stage to prove themselves
@Johnny 5: Steely ? Didn’t fight very hard for Sexton’s shirt
Hallo, this would not happen in D4 , The IRFU ????
@Tom Harrington: There’s always one…
@Tom Harrington: : the IRFU gave u Carberry (made a mess of him), Tadhg Beirne, Conway etc. Bizarrely gave Earls and Murray recent central contracts and are subsidizing Zebos fat salary so I’d stop your moaning
@Macodub: what did the Gloucester Coach say of later re Lenister??
Go away ye feckers .
Opens the door for someone else at Munster. Especially as Carbery can never seem to stay fit. Healy was never going to next WC and has currently 5 players at 10 ahead of him in Ireland reckoning that could feasibly go to the WC in 2027.
Sad for munster to lose a homegrown player but wish the lad well
A cockup by Munster and Ireland again.
Anyone look up the Edinburgh squad? Its an interesting read. They have 4 flyhalves on their books already ,Blair Kinghorn,a SAwho just signed a long-term deal,a young Ulster lad and an Aussie
Good decision by him to go and try to get capped with Scotland and thereby increase his earning potential.
Ireland out half berth would be much harder for him to obtain
I don’t think Munster or Ireland will miss him to be honest.
If it was young Jack , now that would be a different matter.
People seem to have forgotten covid ramifications and the huge amount of money that the IRFU lost and as such contracts are not the same now.
I wouldn’t pay big money for a third choice out half
I think Healy has been very poorly advised here. There is no one at the present time that is nailed on to succeed Sexton and Healy is thereabouts as potentially someone who could. For me Carbery never has been and never will be the answer so it is a battle between Crowley, Healy and Byrne to take over. Hope it works out for him as he is now left with no option if if doesn’t. Munster get Jake Flannery back from Ulster as a replacement please!!
Really wish the IRFU would give him a central contract and maybe he could go to Ulster for a couple of seasons. He’s head and shoulders better than any 10 they have up there. I think he has a really strong all round game and a sustained run at 10 could put him in the window for Ireland. He is half Scottish and could switch allegiance to Scotland when he moves to Edinburgh. It would be our loss.
Any reason why Scotland won’t cap him straightaway now?
@Lesidees: Is there any residency requirement?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: not that I know of – Finn Russell surely lives in France!
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Not with the SRU.
Gutted