WALKING around the ground in the teeming rain, the absolute teeming fucking rain, after the game there was this enormous buzz of the Red support leaving the ground, songs echoing around, smiles wide. The Reds are coming up the hill, clambering up, dust smeared faces, straining every sinew, hands and arms cut to ribbons but there, still there scrabbling and hauling themselves right into contention for a third or fourth placed finish. It’s been work, it’s been graft, it has been exhausting, but after this weekend’s work they have themselves slap bang in the midst of everything.
For the collective effort of will since Manchester United away they deserve it. Liverpool have worked their way into genuine contention through the winter’s wind and teeming rain. They’ve shown a relentless desire for victory and a heart for battle. Today was no exception.
They were, frankly, downright fortunate to get in at half time ahead, but having done that their second-half showing had more than enough sense, more than enough grit to be able to say those lads deserve to take all three points home with them.
Let’s not kid ourselves — the first half lasted for about three hundred hours. And I think I looked at the scoreboard every 10 seconds or so in the 27 minutes that followed half time until Sterling settled both the matter and my nerves.
Goals change games, especially early goals. They mean a game can settle into a false pattern. Coutinho’s outrageous Yeboah-surpassing screamer put Southampton even more on the front foot in the early going than one would have expected. They were impressive and turned Liverpool around repeatedly, posing Liverpool’s unorthodox shape more problems than any side has managed. In the absence of Sakho Southampton pressed high and kept Liverpool boxed in, Can slightly neutered by starting on the left, Lovren unable to play out as smoothly as either Can or Sakho. Liverpool asserted some control after about 20 minutes through the excellence of Allen.
There will always be discussion of Joe Allen in this side, but his performance today was everything he does well and then some. He got the Reds in the game and kept them there. It’s probably his best game in red and he should go to bed tonight knowing the three points belong to him as much as they do to anyone.
I had been excited by the selection. The wingbacks so much more wing than back, but Southampton getting Liverpool on the backfoot, and Liverpool struggling to hold the ball up, meant they were vulnerable, especially Markovic. The manager made the right change at half time, again getting an exposed player off the pitch.
Coutinho was Liverpool’s brightest attacker, undermining my amateur, ill-informed sports science thinking he needed a game out. Sterling toiled, and while he did get his reward the feeling persisted Liverpool could have done with a more orthodox presence up front first half.
Bar one loose punch — and despite his kicking coming under close examination — Mignolet did very well and Skrtel improved as the half wore on. After the break his best work came. Southampton weren’t getting as close to Mignolet’s goal though his handling was excellent.
You’ll remember the opening goal, you’ll remember it for the rest of your days. You’ll probably forget the grit one day, but this obstacle course of a season which may just have a happyish ending now some way, somehow, has been built on grit, on the notion of refusing to tolerate defeat. It’s an impressive Liverpool side this. It might not stir the soul but it finds ways to settle the nerves.
Driving home through the teeming rain, the absolute teeming fucking rain, apart from lamenting the mismanagement which had led to us being short of post-match celebratory wine we’re talking tables and runs. No defeats in 18 games in 90 minutes in all comps since United.
Walk around those lads. We’re coming up the hill, singing and screaming. Whatever happens from here us and these lads aren’t going to go quietly.
9 – Only Fraser Forster (12) and Ben Foster (10) have kept more PL clean sheets than Simon Mignolet (9) this season. Rebooted.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2015
8 – After the Boxing Day fixtures Liverpool were 10 points behind Man Utd; they have now cut the gap to two points. Charge.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2015
5 – Liverpool have kept five clean sheets in a row away from home (in league competition) for the first time since 1985. Improvement.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2015
[yop_poll id=”32″]
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
Can we have a revised article please on how many teams have got in the top 4 after being 2 points behind with 12 to go? Last season I remember thinking everything’s going well for us. We were getting pens that were questionable. It’s not sour grapes but Utd have been getting these decisions for years and it felt like we hadn’t. I’m getting the same feeling again. I don’t actually know what that means but I think it’s just a natural phenomenon that the best sides get the decisions more.
Obviously, it was a big game today but for me it was actually secondary. My lads team need to win the last 2 games to win league and they were playing 3rd place. I found it also impossible to envisage 6 points by the evening. Seemed too good to be true and although we kind of thought we’re good enough to beats Saints, they are a good team and it was no foregone conclusion. So, like everyone I’m ecstatic about the result(s). It felt good to win like that. We didn’t steam roller them with fast attacking play, we dug in and stayed solid. I’m really impressed.
Look, I’ve got no agenda but I thought an important feature of the match were the roles of Allen and Henderson and both were superb. So, I had a look and in the last 5 games they’ve played 4 of them together and conceded one goal. Moreno looked far better than Markovic in that role. Impressed with the defence. Solid. I still can’t believe we’ve won that today. Unbelievable. Can we beat City? Starting to lose my head a bit.
Just been watching the Coutinho goal. There’s a great moment when Lallana follows in and when it hits the back of the net he turns quick to look thinking ‘who the fuck hit that’.
@BeeJay1812: 1st half = radio, great goal but reds defensive shambles; 2nd half = tv, outstanding away performance – which is it, I don’t care #WTRWWAW
I absoleutely LOVE this site!!
I stumbled upon it a while back and made it my homepage, I can’t miss a minute of the lads rocking and this season has been a HUGE roller coaster, but now I feel we are reaching the peak again.
If we can sign some solid defensive mid and maybe a few defenders (Lovren is STILL ass in my opinion, compare his tackles to Can) then I don’t see how we couldn’t challenge for years to come.YNWA from sunny SD California!!
P.S. does anyone know why there hasn’t been another US preseason tour? Did it not generate revenue?
Hiya mate. My guess would be because we’re fighting on 2 fronts, Asia/Australia and the U.S/Canada. It seems to be alternative seasons. I think it’ll be the following summer.
Why does everyone want to sign more and more new players?? If this season has taught us anything it is that Rodgers needs time to make new players gel together and play to his system. Once they do the sum is undoubtedly greater than its parts. We need all these lads to grow together for another season of progress and simply add to it with new talent from within the academy. Who could we have signed in January with as big an impact as Jordon Ibe??
The US tours are alternating with the Asia/Austrailia tours where we generate a lot more money.
I live in the US also, New England region but I am from Ireland originally. So it has been great to have seen my Reds at Fenway twice in recent years.
As for buying more players, I don’t think we NEED more players, especially since it appears it took half a season for the players we have to bed in properly. A replacement (jesus the thought……) for SG….as in a replacement to make up the numbers, as he is beyond replacing. But i really hope Sako is back for the CIty game, Lovren gives me panic attacks….
Good professional win today. A bit too open for my taste, we have been ever since Lucas’ injury but Allen and Henderson put a good shift in and Skrtl was immense. Lovren, despite showing some progress in his cameos, remains a liability, sadly. Brendan got the subs right again today, though given Clyne’s ability, I’m not sure today was they day to play Can and Markovic on the left.
Couple more observations: the travelling fans were amazing today. That’s a long old journey, hats off. I’ve noticed a few of our supporters are having a go at Sturridge for a couple of iffy performances following his injury layoff. Behave. He’s been immense for our club.
I think as fans we need to get over the goal/assits contributions of Henderson and Allen and focus on the fact that there game epitomises the Brendan Rodgers way.
They are so clever in the way they press particularly hendo who seems to always pick the right times to press the opposition. Allen, is fantastic at disrupting teams who pass the ball in to spaces. He gets found out a little more against teams that play a longer physical game but he is perfect against teams that play a passing game because he cuts out the spaces so well.
There were two moments in particular where Allen made two excellent challenges on the edge of the box and inside the box. He did not allow himself to get over awed against Wanyama.
With these two or Lucas and Hendo we allow the players like coutinho sterling sturridge and Co to focus more on pressing higher up the pitch and being in the right places when we do get the ball.
Our shape at the moment makes us a real force right now.
Can i just pop up and say that if we win the Europa Mouse Cup Trophy Shield thing we’re in that it’ll mean an automatic place in next seasons European Championship? No? Arse to it then….
A lot easier said than done, especially with the teams left in it.
It means 6 more Thursday night fixtures, after Istanbul, and then the final. Ridiculously overcooked competition.
We’ll be shattered in the league, and end up with sod all.
We’re be better off out of it next week, sadly.
The case could be made that a straight cup run is more likely / achievable than finishing in the top 4 given the way that competition for places is rapidly growing fiercer.
Then again we could do both.
Or neither.
Don’t think Moreno is getting enough credit for his role in the second goal. Does very well to press and win back possession. Thought the team selection made sense considering the next two games both important for different reasons. Still wouldn’t mind Coutinho getting a rest on Thursday. A bit disappointed to not see Mario and Sturridge together. Can’t wait for Man City next weekend…. WTRWWAW
Well, I said if we won at the Dell we’d finish top 4. The nature of the win makes me even more confident. We ground it out, as we had to given the opposition and the number of games we’re playing at the moment. In that sense this was a defining moment. We know we can beat anyone on our day. We now know we can go to a difficult ground on a shit day and beat a team starting above us.
I’ve been critical of Skrtel but I doff my hat to him. Since we went to a back 3 he’s been a rock. Everyone deserves a minimum of 7 today (maybe not Marko) as this was a true team performance.
Loved the Jordan Henderson song at the end. He was actually trying to look as if he couldn’t hear it but he must’ve felt 10 feet tall. A captain’s performance.
Safe journey home Neil.
Love that top picture with the lone Saints fan giving the one finger salute to the lads celebrating the first goal !
The others around him look like they’re sitting in the cinema than at the match :))
I heard Luis Suarez turned up wearing a Phil Coutinho mask?
Ah Neil, No need to say “fcking rain”.We get that you’re a “lad” but we’re not knobeads!
So, no more of it O.K? Otherwise I’ll be giving you a letter to take home.
Other than that it was quite a good piece.
We seem to be getting to the stage where we can get a result just by being who we are. By that I mean that teams are now treating us with a lot more respect than they have done lately.
Don’t get me wrong it was a good battling performance today but that in itself doesn’t always get you a result.What does though is when the opposition have given their best shots and then start to think “Oh no! I know what’s going to happen now if we’re not careful.”
That last line is a classic!
When Liverpool win we all win
SITTING at home in the arid heat, the absolute arid fucking heat, after the game, there was this enormous buzz of Red support leaving my pants, screams echoing around, smiles wide, Kleenex by the handful… What? It was a good performance!
One more thought. The Migs hand ball incident. If he goes at some point we have a problem at a crucial point in the season. It’s either young Danny Ward or you know who. Let’s just keep everything crossed and hope for the best. But that’s hardly good forward planning.
Seems to be quite a few moaners missing from the comments section these days.
Funny that, sure they’ll be back when we concede on the road again.
If we ever concede on the rd again………
They all laugh at us, they all mock at us.
Wanyama’s not having shifted his Christmas weight by late February felt like an early goal before the actual early goal.
What a strange (but fingers crossed successful) season we’re having…
Re the stat:
9 – Only Fraser Forster (12) and Ben Foster (10) have kept more PL clean sheets than Simon Mignolet (9) this season. Rebooted.
Mignolet would’ve had 10 had he played the full game at Burnley. As he played 75 minutes and Jones didn’t make a save, he gets a clean sheet there in my book ;-)
Good point that, mate. Nice one, Andrew.
Love that bloke in the top two pictures, gleeful in his disdain