Good start for the new boss.  He’d been pretty defeatist before this game, making some comment about not liking our chances of getting a win or something.  I don’t actually think he believed that, it’s just his way.  I remember last season (maybe even the season before?) I absolutely slated him for some defeatist comment he made before Fulham played the mancs.  They won that game too.

This turned out to be pretty easy, even without most of our senior players.  Agger and Skrtel were back to provide much needed experience in the back four, but otherwise it was the group who’d played in the last pre-season game.  Rabotnicki were something of an unknown quantity, and these away fixtures in Eastern Europe are often very tricky, but this was a walk in the park.  I don’t remember Cavalieri having to make any kind of save other than from a thirty yard shot that bounced three times before it reached him.

We defended very well as a team, we were comfortable in midfield and Ngog was in clinical form up top.  His second goal in particular was a really sharp finish.  Job well done, and Roy can now ease the stars back in his own time, and doesn’t have to rush them back for the game next week as he knows this group can get the job done for him if need be.

There was a lot to be encouraged about.  Ngog took his goals superbly and led the line well, Spearing was outstanding in the middle of the park alongside skipper Lucas, Kelly overcame a difficult opening period to have a solid game at right back and Amoo was very exciting in flashes.  The winger made a nervy start, but after one run down the left when he blew away the full back he seemed to grow in stature and was a real handful.  Shame about some of his crossing, but that can be worked on.

The Macedonian fans didn’t cover themselves in glory, with vile racist chanting directed at Ngog and Amoo, and they really don’t like Greeks do they?!?!  The booing directed at Soto was ear splittingly loud.  Not that he’d be arsed, he probably loved it.  If he were alive back in the days of Alexander the Great, he’d have been a feared captain in the Greek army.  His name would have spread fear throughout the entire continent, men would tremble in his presence and women would throw themselves at him.  Instead, he’s a journeyman centre half, and the only fear he spread was in the hearts of Glasgow Rangers fans whenever his name was on their teamsheet.  Poor fella was just born a couple of thousand years too late.

The one disappointment for me was Aquilani.  He looks so short of confidence and never really got into this game.  There’s clearly a good player in there somewhere, but he looks to be totally lacking self belief and I’m not sure he’s ideally suited to playing off the striker either.  It may take a run of games for him to start to look comfortable with himself, but will he get that run once Gerrard, Cole, Kuyt etc are available again?

With Luke Young rejecting personal terms, that may provide the opportunity that someone like Martin Kelly needs.  Of course, the Young deal could be resurrected, or Roy may switch his attention elsewhere, but I’d like to see Kelly and Darby given a chance to stake a claim for the back up full back spots and save ourselves a few quid.  Kelly did himself no harm with this performance, although Hodgson seemed to really lay the law down to the youngster at the end of the 1st half, taking him to one side and letting him know he wasn’t happy with something or other.

Whilst you have to take the standard of opposition into account, it still has to be encouraging to see players like Ngog, Spearing, Amoo and Kelly showing they can be counted on if needed.  Jovanovic looks to have something about him too, and could nail down the left wing spot if we continue with the 4-2-3-1 system.  He’s direct and has a good left foot, I’ve got high hopes for him going into this season.

With all of our star names still to come back, we don’t look in bad shape at all right now.  We just need to get Mascherano out as soon as possible, as he’s become a bad smell around the club and until he goes we don’t have money to strengthen elsewhere.  If we can get him out and use the cash to get a replacement and another striker then we’ll look pretty strong (I expect a new left back to come in as soon as Insua leaves, and my money would be on Konchesky).

Next weeks game isn’t a formality, but I didn’t see anything in the opposition to suggest they could turn it around.  We’d need to be pretty awful to throw this one away, but it will be interesting to see how many of the big guns are back for it.  Maybe we’ll see a home debut for Joe Cole?  I can’t wait for that Arsenal game now.