The best performance yet under Andoni. Against the best side we’ve faced thus far. With an absolute statement win that should have the rest of the league sitting up and taking
SERIOUS notice of what’s brewing here …..
Yesterday’s admin-
Title Countdown:
4 wins down/ 23 to go.
15 points down/ 73 to go.
Current PL unbeaten run:
P 8 W 4 D 4 F 12 A 6 CS: 4
3 Straight Wins/ 1 Straight CS.
Current unbeaten home PL run:
P 9 W 4 D 5 F 17 A 8 CS: 3
1 Straight Win/ 2 Straight CS.
Andoni Iraola current unbeaten PL run-
Total:
P 25 W 12 D 13 F 38 A 21 CS: 10
Bournemouth:
P 18 W 8 D 10 F 27 A 16 CS: 6
Liverpool:
P 7 W 4 D 3 F 11 A 5 CS: 4
Brighton are an excellent side. Coached to win games of football and not play scared like the majority of PL teams. On form, going in, well arguably the best side currently in Europe. They have a serious chance of taking the next step in their development this season and finishing top 4. And they contributed to an excellent game of football where both teams just went for it in a very positive manner that was really pleasing on the eye.
Liverpool know how good Brighton are and come flying out of the traps from the off. Playing Albion at their own game. Fast paced, all out attack. Not giving Brighton a second to breath in possession. Happy to accept Brighton are a really, really good team who will cut through and create chances. But confident enough in their ability, and sheer determination to win, to end moves at some point with a block or full blooded tackle/ interception. Oft from more than one player putting his body on the line as they repeatedly backed each other up. And they remind everyone, including themselves, that if they match a really, really good side like Brighton for effort, then they have a slew of absolutely World class footballers who are better players than what they are facing. Who know what it takes to win major trophies, domestically and on Europe’s biggest stage, from previous clubs we’ve garnered with top money for their services. And we are getting the absolute privilege once more of watching them all grow and steadily click together by the passing game. All marshalled by another really special coach who’s set-up, in-game management, and astute substitutions were nigh on perfect once again.
When you combine that level of coaching, with absolutely top draw footballers, not only playing front foot, attacking football at pace, and working their collective backsides off, but with one of the most vital elements in top level sport,
CONFIDENCE, then you have something really, really special.
All-out attack filled with goals. Non-stop press. Really well coached and organised. Really good, clever footballers on top form. All that was, rightly, said of Brighton going in when many, madly for me given it was at home and the ridiculously superb start Iraola has had, predicting we’d lose. Just like they did against the other troublesome B’s. Bournemouth and Brentford. Except all of the above can be said of this fast growing Liverpool side. Not least yesterday. Who just have better players and were better than an excellent Brighton on the day. Superb tactics to play them at their own game first-half to out Brighton, Brighton. Superb desire to comfortably keep them at arms length as they managed the game excellently second-half. A real complete team, statement performance that left smiles on faces everywhere and warmed you up on a really cold, blustery day. The most alive Anfield has been all year as we are really starting to believe something proper special is brewing here.
Too many outstanding individual performances to list but a few complete difference makers-
Big Ron, now finally honoured with a song which boomed out, was the absolute standout. He’s well and truly back to his Barca best and it’s hard to separate him and Jacquet as our best defenders his year. Technically superb and clever stepping forward. A typical, give no F’s Uruguayan at the back. At one point first half, he wins a tackle, on the deck, with his
HEAD to save a goal!!!!!
The way he just went through Brighton lads with bone crunching tattles, twice over, late, just sparked an already hyped crowd to see us home.
Kerkez had probably his best game in Red. Excellent both ends the park.
THATS the lad we identified to succeed AndyRobbo. More of that please mate.
The absolutely madly maligned Wirtz and Barcola continue to ram that ridiculously OTT criticism back down people’s grids by the passing game. Wirtz’s vision and creativity is a joy to behold. Topped only by his ridiculous graft for the team. The difference in a World class player l, playing with
CONFIDENCE, is there for all to see. I also, ironically, think Dominic’s injury has helped immensely here as the balance of the midfield is way, way better without Szobo in the side. I just don’t see, as brilliant a footballer as he is, where he fits in an Iraola middle?
But that’s a discussion for another day. Barcola is immense both ends of the park. Showing just why you pay top money for one of the very best wide men on the planet.
And rounding out the top dollar guys, Isak continues to show why, Haaland aside, there’s no better #9 in the game. His all-around movement and ability to find space is terrifying. Combine that with top-draw quality behind finding him, and the results are devastating. As exemplified by another World class finish. And can we please put to bed this myth that he doesn’t press? He presses hard, at the right times, and is a constant menace to the opposition back 4 with his graft. Again, the difference in a fully fit, fully confident Alex is night and day to last season.
And, as good a double pivot as AllyMac and Gravenberch are (the latter another one I think is benefiting from not having Szobo free-lancing and messing up the team shape and structure), you continue to be really impressed by Nyoni the more experience he gets. Not only winning tackles and throwing his body on the line to save goal-bound efforts. But intelligently, and simply, retaining possession and controlling games of football from deep. All whilst being front foot and continually moving the lines forward. Real gem of a home-produced player we have there.
I hate the term, but to all intents and purposes that was a proper statement win yesterday. Against a really, really good Brighton team. That brings up 6 straight victories for Andoni’s fast-developing Reds.
Championship momentum ….. This is that right here. Arsenal, you are put on notice for next Sunday!
But first there’s West London opposition to take care of and LC progression to be had Wednesday.
Up the charging, mighty Reds!
The range of emotions went from being made up the PL had finally grown a pair to uphold everything. To dismay when that cretin Burnham stuck his oar in at just how political intervention could very likely sway this back in the cheats favour. The single biggest reason why State ownership of football clubs needs to be outlawed. But at the end of the day, however uncertain the future, there was still a football game to play. And a massive one at that in terms of the title. With the first chance to tell them in NO uncertain terms what we’ve always known. So you psych yourself up to, at the very least, play your part in a wild, feral atmosphere …..
www.independent.co.uk
But I digress ….. Completely different from the Kop up there. Spacious under. Beer on tap, from actual bars, and NOT out of a can! What’s all that newfangled nonsense about …..? Can’t remember being in a ground so early as I walked on from the boozer just before 7 as I didn’t know what the queues would be like that end the ground. (A lot smoother than I was expecting.). And unlike the Kop, which is getting more and more full of wools diluting the atmosphere season-on-season, it was refreshing to be surrounded by loads of young Scouse lads. Which led to a really good atmosphere the upper Road End. Love or hate reading it, a local influence makes ALL the difference on a match day. Albeit it was proper strange to be sat down the full 90. I can’t remember the last time I sat down to watch a game of football anywhere but it must be last Century.