IN the wind and the snow, Mo Salah confirmed he’s the best in the land with a minimum of fuss.
It’s a debut season from the stars, a return which goes beyond expectation and even hope. We started the season with conversations around “reversion to the mean” where his goals were concerned and he’s ending it blowing it completely out of the water. He’s realigned exactly what we think he is capable of. I wonder if he has shifted his own thinking or if he turned up thinking he could do something like this.
He set Roberto Firmino up for his goal, should have set Danny Ings for his, but that was OK as he turned the rebound home. The key goal, though, is the first. Not only does it give Liverpool a flying start, it offers so much doubt through the Watford side. If Watford’s defenders and midfielders are told one thing it is keep him off his left. Don’t let him get on his left. If he does get on his left, get the block in. Just stop him from getting it on his left.
He makes it 1-0 with his right. All plans go out right of the window. What are we meant to do now, gaffer? What indeed. Impossible to work out what to do but wonder at his brilliance.
The second is a tap in from an Andy Robertson cross which demanded it. His third he finishes from another dimension. His fourth smashed home. It’s all about being in the box, being between the sticks. He makes none of it look like rocket science. It’s putting the round thing into the rectangular thing at its purest.
What he does do, which is marvellous, is the contrast of the pace of his running and his feet with his composure. It’s this which makes him so very special. He has time in almost all matters, in almost all situations, in the heat and noise of the football match. He’s Neo in The Matrix, bullets swerving around him. He’s filmed by Ang Lee. He’s the beat the drummer doesn’t play, the punch Ali doesn’t throw. He possesses the moment.
The heat and noise. The heat, I wish; not today. Anfield was snowy and freezing, the remnants of the “Beast From The East”, but the biggest force of nature was Liverpool’s number 11. Egypt’s finest.
The rest of the match will pale into insignificance but shouldn’t. Liverpool completely controlled affairs bar a rocky five minutes around the half-hour mark. It was a consummate performance, everything looked easy but it cannot be that easy. Watford are a decent side and quite a big side but they couldn’t get near to hurting Liverpool.
At the back, Virgil van Dijk eased his way through the match, enjoying the battle when it came his way. Sauntering through it, making it look so straightforward both with and without the ball. The whole side showed that same certainty at the back, defending in van Dijk’s image.
Watford had no time in the middle of the park, pressed into uncertain passing, pressed into absolute submission. What was happening in there was flat-track bullying at its best.
In fact, it would now be fair to describe this side as a set of flat-track bullies, certainly at home.
Firmino set the tone, as usual, in terms of work expected across that frontline. His touch was a tiny bit off at times, but when it was on it stunned Watford. They had nothing which could match it. Liverpool are telling that story through matches — you have nothing, nobody who can come near this. They are telling that story to their opponents week in, week out. Making that point over and over again.
Anfield was enjoying the cold, enjoying the brilliance and enjoying establishing itself as a fortress again tonight. The crowd had a ball, no one that cold until they emerge from the cocoon of goals, of brilliance. Nothing warms you like Liverpool being brilliant.
Allez allez. It’s a season with everything in it and simultaneously a season to build on. Imagine that building process but live in this moment. What a time to be alive.
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“I would say [Salah] is catapulting himself into the bracket of top 2 or 3 players in the world right now on current form.” 🇪🇬
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
Love it! Neil captures the mood so well!
Magnificent result for the swashbuckling Reds.
One criticism I have though is we had a few periods in the game where we were sloppy on the ball, lost too quickly in midfield and several players made bad passes (Hendo, Matip and Firmino e.g.).
Against top oppsosition we cant afford too many of those periods in a game.
City would punish us all day for that sloppiness.
the Fire only Marley could catch
“What a time to be alive” that is very true. How awesome is it that we lead the line with smiles and score for fun. I have a ticket sitting in a drawer for these Reds to win the Champions League. Bought it New Years Eve. I’m believing in it more each day.
The beast from the middle East.
An absolute fine peace of writing to match our Egyptian King
Watford man, Britos, was gobby about our defense when they were gifted a draw by a poor linesman earlier in the season. Did he have anything to say tonight? Troy Deeney always has a clever word for everyone when Watford get a result, in a very Allardyce way. Anyone hear if he had any thoughts after this one?
Did they fuck!
I doubt Britos will ever speak in public again after what Salah did to him.
As for Deeney, was he even playing? As you say, he’s always got something cocky to say after Watford get a result. He thinks it makes him ‘old school’, you see. He bores me. If he did play yesterday, I hope someone thanks him for his efforts. Nice of him to give van Dijk an easy evening.
Just so brilliant Neil. Let’s live this moment..
Allez Allez..
Ang Lee?
Brokeback Mountain Ang Lee?
Do you mean John Woo?
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
http://imdb.com/rg/an_share/title/title/tt0190332/
I absolutely agree about Salah. I love his composure even when he gets angry at himself for missing chances, he sighs: it’s like he’s just missed the bus, he knows there’s another one coming, but it means waiting longer.
Actually, thinking about it, Salah had such a great game it was almost like those kids films where some kindly old stranger gives a kid these magic powers and he’d said “I want no-one to be able to stop me and my mates scoring loads and loads of goals”.
Next thing you know, (1) defenders are mysteriously falling over as he casually runs in, (2) the ball arrives at his feet a foot away from goal, (3) his cross is pinged in from the top part of the back leg in an outrageous moment of Liberace-like flamboyance, (4) he draws 3 professional footballers 3 times in synchronicity like clowns [cue the BOI-OI-OING!! sound effect!] at the circus before scoring while falling on his arse, and finally (5) he passes to a mate whose shot lands in the keeper’s hands then bounces helplessly out right in front of him!
It was so ridiculous that it has to be witchery, I mean even if Watford collectively decided to throw the match, they couldn’t even choreograph these moments.
I’m still waiting for the moment of the film where the magic powers wear off in an important match and the kids has to rely on his own abilities and manages to succeed, a lovely teaching moment as well as cracking entertainment.
As an aside – and I say this not as some bitter way of making myself feel better, but a serious question with no agenda – who remembers Phil Countinho? He might have made a difference for the Man U match I guess but it’s like he was never there.
Good times!
The key thing about Couts is that 1) Klopp doesn’t build a team reliant on one player, and 2) Couts isn’t actually a Klopp style player.
The centre of gravity of our play has moved forwards. Couts’ ability and habits pulled our play a little deeper with less time spend in the box certainly if not near the box.
Long time listener, fantastic writing to match a fantastic performance. The Neo, unplayed beat,and moment reference especially outstanding!