There's something about this team at the moment, something which makes me think we are destined to achieve all of our ambitions this year. For the third game in succession we have managed to pull out a victory when it looked for sure we would have to settle for a point. GH has installed a belief in his 'pliers', a grit and determination that was so lacking during the dark years and the win against Coventry, a game we would have undoubtedly lost 18 months ago speaks volumes.
Upon arriving at Coventry, we visited this shitty student bar with a larger section of hom's behind the bar that I have ever seen. While waiting an hour for my fried breakfast, we tuned in to the second half of Leeds-Chelsea, which to be honest didn't do a great deal for my moral. I hate to keep going on about his but how dirty are Leeds?
We then got taking to this black country inbred who thought he was scaring us by directing us on a long long route to the ground, to avoid idiot Coventry fans. I saw through it but my mate Dave insisted and we set off to the ground, I'd had four pints and was gagging for a piss and the journey seemed like an eternity.
We arrived at the ground at about 2:40 and found our seats on the front row above the walkway between the lower tier (this will become important later) And as the teams came out to 'simply the best' the only thing I could liken the song to was the superb meat pie I was currently scoffing.
The Coventry fans were fairly loud and really got behind their boys well, I might even have had a bit of sympathy for the plight we had left them in, if they hadn't felt the need to spout out 'Liverpool slums' 'If you all hate Scousers' and 'sign on'. Sad bastards.
The first half, we were definitely inferior and seemed to be missing Stevie G in the centre and only a great save from Sander prevented former Derby striker and City centre-half, Paul Williams from opening the scoring. Sander has saved us a few times of late, against Everton from Santa Claus', the point blank save against Spurs and again today. keep it up la!
The half time whistle was a disappointment as we were really starting to establish ourselves, with Fowler missing a guilt edge header to give us an undeserved lead. Heskey was really causing them problems, but Fowler, Murphy and especially Berger weren't at the races. It seems his little goal spree has been the perfect tonic for Emile. He stated in the Matchday Mag a couple of weeks ago that as long as he is making goals he isn't too concerned about knocking them away himself. I reckon that is a front, when he is scoring Emile looks like the best striker in the world and the fact that his fellow pro's overlooked him for a thirty-five year old glory hunter goes to show that footballers brains only lie in their boots.
However when he isn't scoring he has his head in his chest and looks like Andy Cole. People have said that his finishing is poor, but other than Robbie he is the best we have. Michael is missing a lot of chances at the moment and although Emile doesn't receive as many its difficult to recall that many that he has missed. Personally, this time last year, I reckon that his goals against Spurs and Everton would have been hit straight at the keeper.
The second half started in a similar vein to the first and until the introduction of Michael, City had looked the more likely to score, although the in-form Hartson was kept in check very well by the SAS. Michael really turned the game on it's head, but if Cov had altered there tactics a little and defended a little deeper they may not be in so much shit as we speak.
Williams couldn't cope with him and it seemed that every time we had the ball in midfield the pass was on to let Owen through. Although he had around four one-on-ones, three of them were SUPERBLY! saved by Kirkland (when they go down I reckon we've got a better chance of snapping him up) and one was a more blatant handball than the two we had received pens for against Barca and Spurs.
Do you remember I told you about us sitting on the front row? Well after Michael was sent through, I was certain that this was going to be it, after seeing Kirkland pull of a magnificent save, I launched my foot at the wall in front of me. Expecting to have a sore foot, I was surprised to see that what I had kicked was a thin wooden board advertising the Daily Telegraph and that my foot had gone straight through it in full view of two policeman.
Expecting to get a ticking off at the least, I guiltily looked at the bizzies who started laughing! nice one lads, must be Villa fans. Thir reaction when Sami scored from the corner resulting from Williams' handball again said it all as they stood there smiling and watching us go absolutely
crazy. I was a little more restrained as I was holding on for dear life to stop this advertising bored from hitting the deck.
Gary Mac's free kick made it four goals in four games, with four kicks of the football. I remember sneering at the Liverpool fan on Sky Sports' fanzone who stated at High bury that Macca was going to be the signing of the season, I remember Dave stating his arse would be on display if we signed Macca, I remember how we all said he was more suited at Everton than Anfield - How wrong we were!
His reaction to the goal, showed great class and sportsmanship. The Coventry fans were mixed, some booed a few chanted his name which he gracefully acknowledged. The ones who booed him are idiots, if it wasn't for him they would have gone down way before now.
So all in all a successful day, The Coventry fans watched us celebrating towards the end of the game, all absolutely mortified, but they have more than outstayed there welcome in the elite and will now have to resign themselves to taking on the tag of 'sleeping giants' just like the rest of their midlands counterparts.
For us, six wins will deliver one of the best years in our history, but what ever happens between now and then, this season has been an undoubted success.
TEAM: Sander Westerveld; Markus Babbel, Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz, Jamie Carragher; Danny Murphy, Gary McAllister, Dietmar Hamann, Patrik Berger (Christian Ziege); Robbie Fowler (Michael Owen) Emile Heskey (Igor Biscan):
