Fighting Spirit
The game against Arsenal ended in a draw which will have taught Kenny Dalglish more about his players than any victory could have. It was a performance full of grit, fighting spirit, commitment, team work and a visible camaraderie amongst the squad. We were dealt blow after blow throughout the game but we kept coming back and doing enough to ensure we were not beaten. Our performances had improved (to levels unrecognisable compared to the first half of the season) of late, but while we have won a few games with flair we have also wilted on a few occasions when things didn’t quite go to plan from the off. This was a game where we may not have been in control from start to finish but we never weakened even when put under intense pressure.
Just how many of these kids are ready for the 1st team?
Throughout this season a number of our youth players have been given their opportunity to prove themselves at the top level, each time this has happened the players have shown themselves to be capable at least and in a number of instances truly impressive. Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing have cemented their places in the first team picture to a level whereby we will be purchasing players to challenge them rather than to push them back into the reserve squads this summer. Kelly may be injured at the moment but Spearing put in another accomplished performance in the middle of the park. John Flanagan got another run out following his impressive debut on Monday night and continued where he left off, he was caught in possession and misplaced 1 or 2 passes but on the whole he seems a confident lad who doesn’t let any error get him down. Another success story was Jack Robinson, this was not his debut of course, his debut came in Rafa’s last game when he became the youngest player to ever wear the red shirt, but it was his first time playing in such a game against an opponent of the standard of Theo Wallcott. He defended resolutely and to my mind was only caught out of position on one occasion. He has pace and seems to be strong in the tackle, he still needs work but has at least shown he has the talent required.
As well as the youngsters who have already excelled in the first team, the U18’s are also proving that there may be more ready sooner than expected with an emphatic 6-0 victory over their Manchester United counterparts over the weekend. The result was impressive enough but the style on display has whetted appetites, as long as they keep proving when called upon, they will keep getting called!
It aint Over till its Over
Two players broke premier league records during the game, unfortunately for one of them it was the same record. Van Persie held the record for the latest ever Premier League goal for a grand total of 4 minutes when he netted his 98th minute penalty. Dirk Kuyt then took the title from him when he pushed home his effort in the 102th minute. When Arsenal took the lead it would have been very easy to take it that the game had been lost, for Liverpools players to drag themselves back into the game at that point showed fantastic character and proved that until the final whistle goes there is always a chance!
Aurelio, is his time up..... again?
There is no doubting Fabio Aurelio is a very good player. He is a player who when fit definitely warrants a place in our squad. The problem is he simply is not fit enough of the time. Rafa Benitez recognised this at the end of last season when he offered him a Pay as you Play contract which the player rejected. He was brought back from the wilderness by Roy Hodgson and given a new 2 year contract by Purslow (which by many accounts is quite lucrative given the fact that he was signed as a free agent). He has impressed on some occasions this season, as he has done in every season since his arrival, but every time he gets a run of form together he breaks down. We simply cannot rely on him going forward. Maybe its time to cut our losses hopefully there will be some clubs interested in him over the summer because as said, when fit he can certainly be an asset.
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