It’s never pleasant to wake up to a nauseating hangover, but today, Sunday 28th August 2011, I’m pleased to deal with one, fruit of the sensational, mind-blowing, sofa stuck ass-numbing display of the Reds at Anfield.
This is not a match report, I believe we already have someone on this website that does those brilliantly. This is a sigh of relief, the aftermath of a game in which the Reds annihilated Bolton from the word go. There was no contest, the Reds were relentless, inventive, fast, and presented themselves with Suarez, Kuyt, Henderson and Downing all ready and waiting to have a crack at goal. We had multiple options throughout the 90 minutes and while their goal was a glitch in an otherwise supreme performance, the end result of 3-1 gives little credit to the massive game the Reds played.
A touch of controversy! I was not surprised and perhaps a bit relieved not to see Carroll in the starting line-up. I say that with responsibility on the grounds that I wanted us to test the alternative, and we passed the test with flying colours. The initial 4-2-3-1 formation perhaps disguised the intention to attack ‘en masse’; in fact Bolton never had a chance to get in the game such was the tempo and the evident enthusiasm shown by all the players playing in Red. Because at the end of the day each player perhaps deserves special mention, but if the Reds maintain this mentality on and off the pitch then we will give everyone a run for their money.
Contrary to the other games, the absence of Carroll gave the opposition no fixed reference points. Suarez picked the ball from across the attacking front, while Downing and Henderson made themselves available attacking the empty spaces beckoning for incisive passing from the likes of Lucas and Adam, not to mention the tireless shift put in by Kuyt. The back four oozed confidence throughout the 90 minutes (yes we suffered Bolton’s goal in the 91st+), and Reina was alert and concentrated the few times his abilities were called upon. In the end we were entertainingly wasteful as this could have well been a whitewash!
With possibly our last summer transfer window signing Sebastian Coates in the stands, the Reds now have two away games on the trot facing Stoke City and Tottenham. We are making waves but now we need to make a statement to the other Clubs in the Premier League that the Reds ‘are back in business’.
A final point of controversy: what happens when and if Steven Gerrard gets fit again? Food for thought……..!