Good Stuff
Wow! Now that was proper derby match. Tough tackles, cuts, bruises two red cards, a winning goal, what didn't it have? It was a thoroughly enjoyable game to watch, I'm just not too sure I would have liked to be on the pitch though, considering how hard some of the tackles were.
But that was good from Liverpool. They never gave up, even when they went down to 10 men. Soto was clumsy against Fellaini but in all fairness Fellaini was quite lucky to not get censured as well considering he went over Soto's ankle. The same with Pienaar, he was lucky not to get a red card for a tackle on Masch. But I have to give some credit to David Moyes here. Finally a manager when interviewed after the game says 'yeah I saw it again and Pienaar was lucky not to get sent off'. It's a far cry from Wenger who somehow didn't see a replay of the horrendous tackle by Gallas a week after the match!
But onto the game and I have to admit I initially felt that Rafa got his starting XI wrong. I would have put both Riera and Aqua in my line-up to give us some width and creativity respectively. However considering how the match went I can see why Aqua might not have been a wise choice. I still would have gone with Riera but again considering how Maxi played I guess it could have gone either way.
Another positive from the game I felt was Mascherano. I know Kuyt will get most of the plaudits, and deservedly so for scoring a winning goal, but did the Argentine put a foot wrong at right back? No. He was very good in defence and was a willing runner when attacking. It just didn't feel like he was a makeshift right back and negated both Donavon and Pienaar really well.
Stevie is slowly coming back into it which is good and Babel got a good run out in his favoured position and I felt he played really well and made a lot of good runs into space to give our defence some rest. I really feel like the team is playing with more purpose and perhaps the main reason for that is that we have stopped leaking goals in defence. If you look at any Benitez team then it's easy to see that it's all built on a solid defence. Keep a clean sheet, nick a goal on the counter, then dominate possession and score a few more if you can, get three points. Sounds easy but it's not, and thankfully the team has done just that in the last month.
It's Arsenal and City next and for these two Aqua and Riera will be key. Neither team has a tough tackler that would make Rafa think twice of putting Aqua in his starting XI and his creativity will be needed because Liverpool do lack something from midfield when Masch and Lucas play together. Hopefully we can get a minimum of four points from these two games and really cement our fourth place. City are our biggest rivals and a win against them is more important than at the Emirates. That doesn't mean I won't take a win against the Gooners of course!
Oh just a side note, as I'm writing this Tottenham-Villa is 0-0 and coupled with Man City's draw earlier, this is turning out to be yet another perfect weekend for the Reds. God knows we haven't been able to say that too often this season.
Onwards and upwards!
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