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Liverpool 2 Boro 2 (14-13 on pens) - "Three thoughts" by Paul Natton

1. 14-13???

 

That was mental! Probably the maddest penalty shoot out I've ever seen. It was ridiculous just how many top class pens were in there - including from centre halves and even goal keepers! If only the rest of our football was as composed and accurate as our penalties, eh? Still, a win's a win and I'm well happy with that one because we needed it, regardless of the competition or the composition of the side we put out. I'd much rather be going into the derby at the weekend on an upturn in luck than another defeat.

 

Overall I thought we were OK. It wasn't a match full of defensive wobbles by any means, although we certainly shouldn't have conceded at the death like that. How out of character was that for Raheem? It was so unlike him - he's usually wise beyond his years and seems largely nerveless. The fact that he did make that error though made his position at number five in the penalty line up a weird one because his head must've been at least a little bit wobbly.

 

In terms of the rest of the game, we still seem to have issues getting in behind opponents who just park the bus, but at least we're in the next round and so I'm more than happy with the result. You can't win in circumstances like these anyway: you're either humiliated by a home defeat or else everyone says, "So what? You're Liverpool - you should win". So, round four here we come.

 

2. Someone other than Raheem coming into form: woo-hoo!

 

Sterling was boss, I thought, bar the errant pass and the subsequent penalty miss: his composure, decision making (the error was very uncharacteristic, to be fair), strength, pace, skill and in fact everything else are superb. It's mind-blowing how young he is and, Daniel Sturridge aside, he's our best player by some distance right now.

 

However, beyond the young lad, it was great to see Adam Lallana start to show signs of why we signed him. It's not been easy for him missing some of pre-season and the opening matches, and in his two previous appearances it was clear his fitness was still lacking. However, tonight he looked all great touches, great movement and tricky passing with good energy in the mix too. It certainly bodes well for the coming weeks and months if this proves to be a platform for him to build his game on because he looked very much a Liverpool player on this (admittedly limited) evidence.

 

Beyond Lallana, I also thought Enrique played well, as did the two debutant Jordans, Rossiter and Williams. Those two lads exhibited great composure and sensible decision-making that speak highly of the education they've received at Kirkby. Let's hope both lads can continue to stay in and around the first team squad because we need young players to see that we are still a club that backs the best young players. And as for Rossiter's goal - who cares if the keeper had a 'mare? It was a 17 year old Scouser scoring on his debut for Liverpool at Anfield. Get in!!!

 

3. Let's hope this can be the kick start our season needs

 

I know you can question the relevance of this result to the game at the weekend with it being a different competition and different set of players, but mentality is everything in football and Melwood will feel like there's been a cloud lifted from over it for the rest of this week now something's gone our way.

 

The derby is always a massive game, but this one feels especially big right now in the light of the struggles both teams have had at this early juncture in the campaign. We need to start digging out some results like we did tonight and also start to recalibrate our attacking football with all these new components. If we can add Sturridge to the form of Sterling for the season so far and Lallana from tonight then I think we can really hurt a very shaky looking Everton defence - especially as Mario looks like he'd thrive playing off someone rather than playing on his own.

 

That said, as much as our thrilling attacking football was the highlight of last season and remains the aspect of our game that makes it all worthwhile, I'd happily settle for a scruffy 1-0 win against Everton. I would probably take greater pleasure from a display of obdurate parsimony at the back than a dashing, gung-ho surge of goals this weekend. The defending has been so universally poor over these last few matches that we need one good performance just to settle us. If not, I can see it becoming a huge psychological barrier to results.

 

So: 1-0 Liverpool with an own goal off Howard's beard. Come on you Reds!!!

 

Paul Natton

@OxtonSoulBoy


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