AND suddenly Liverpool look rampant. Ish. For five minutes.
But it is enough. Play well for five minutes a half against a ton of these sides, you win. This is especially true if you have an actual centre forward.
An actual centre forward. Walk around him.
In fact don’t. We’ll come back to that. Instead look at a Liverpool side that know they’ve been in a fight because that’s what West Ham do, they fight and fight. That is what they do. It is what Allardyce does.
It is interesting this. Allardyce gets his teams always fighting which is something football supporters always want. But you speak to West Ham supporters and you feel like they want to see their side playing. Allardyce might have them over performing, he might be for some sides a good manager, but he could well be the most mismatched managerial appointment since Hodgson at Anfield. He doesn’t feel very West Ham at all.
The fight was the first thing to do and Liverpool saw it through though they looked short of sharpness. The back three put up with an early assault but found themselves in good stead. They pushed out and started the play along with leading the press. The midfield two in front were good without being great, something which bodes very well.
First half Liverpool turned the screw in an old fashioned way. They should have gone in ahead, Lallana, Coutinho and Markovic all spurning good chances but unlike Tuesday it felt the goal was coming. Liverpool were in the ascendancy and were wearing a hard working West Ham United down, pulling them from side to side. Keep the ball the shout. Great to hear.
When it did come its creation was scruffy. Scruffy a good thing. Too little of what Liverpool have done this season has been scruffy, other than losing. Instead here the ball is mostly bundled through. The finish from Sterling is terrific, proper side netting stuff.
And then Daniel Sturridge comes on. The welcome spectacular. The chant perfect. The move flowing. The final ball sublime. The finish thrilling. The prose purple because for too long, for too often this season it has had to be eye gougingly brown. The dance. Oh the dance. The dance. DO THE ARMS.
Joy unconfined.
A proper centre forward. Now you can walk around him.
Daniel Sturridge's PL record at #LFC:
33 goals and 10 assists in 47 appearances.
Minutes per goal or assist: 85.
Worth a goal every game.— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) February 1, 2015
And then Liverpool were rampant. Should have been three or four, everything felt possible. But bigger than that in the end, after the fighting, the high balls, the elbows, the foreheads, the battery we got, the clean sheet. Liverpool stood up and were counted.
Remember that. Really. We’ve called them and seen then wobbly so many times this season however today they were stern. So let’s remember this. More than anything this though:
Sturridge!
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
Wait til you get another look of that coutinho pass for the first goal neil!
There was nothing scruffy or bundly about that pass.
Totally agree the ball was sublime. Might want to lay off the White port before the match .
The pass was sublime, one for the second pretty good as well wasn’t it?
All of the above. His speed of thought from the deflection is quality.
Was thinking the same, a truly incredible pass, and quite a decent pick out from Moreno too despite the deflection.
A beautiful striker’s finish too.
Two months ago the question was asked “how many points from next 6 games” no one went for 16, all were less. Now we have studge back for the games against the too 4 competitiors (not rivals) it’s game on. I’m believing!
Seems a long time since that soft red for Markovic against Basel! It was such a pivotal moment but no one really said much about it. A lot of people laughed and accepted it just typified where we were at. They were dark days but now feels like more like this time last year.
The thing I remember most from the Basel red was how good Markovic had been playing up until that point. In a strange way, that was already one of the first green shoots to announce the arrival of Spring. Never expected to play wingback, though. Rodgers has to be given credit for putting his technical midfielders in EVERY position. Surprised Joe Allen didn’t end up as our GK.
Haha, Allen would have probably been better in goal than Mignolet back then. Dark days but yeah, credit to Rodgers.
Knowing now, what a fine young fellow he is, it’s so hard to believe young Daniel arrived at Liverpool with a ‘questionable attitude’.
There were other chances that, in two or three games, I think he would also have scored but after all the limp forwards we’ve played with upfront this season (honourable exemption for Sterling, who isn’t a forward or a natural finsiher – not yet anyway).
Anyway, I feared after Tuesday’s slog we might have looked weary, but hat was a really enjoyable performance.
Long may it continue.
Normally, I go mad when the board goes up saying 4 mins. Even if we’re 2 up I scream that the game has flowed and so where has the extra come from. Today I was going mad asking – what about all the stoppages. Should be at least 10 mins ya ****. Just didn’t want it to end.
I’m starting to think maybe you do need a good defence after all. Mignolet looks a different keeper. Didn’t have a save to make but commanded his box well. Even his obligatory nightmare moment perhaps put him off his header. Sakho was just immense. We’ve seen how good he is on the ground but today we saw him dominant in the air. I think he won everything. The whole defence was good to be fair, shaky first 10 from Can aside.
Coutinho and Sterling were majestic at times and with Sturridge back it’s genuinely exciting. It looked like our best chance of a goal was them two countering from a West Ham corner. I think you may need to see the ball from Coutinho, for the opener, again. Scruffy just prior but what a ball and a good run from Sterling. A lot of people will mention how we’ve missed someone who can finish like Sturridge did but I think we’ve missed someone who can take a first touch like that. Absolutely sublime yet so simple. It wouldn’t far off the mark to say West Ham were poor but every time one of them got the ball in the middle, 3 red shirts converged on him. After such a tough semi on Tuesday we pressed well I thought. West Ham are as physical as it gets and we couldn’t live with it but overall we made them poor.
The commentary teams still can’t resist the old cliches though. Still the need to describe our defense as nervy. As for Niall Quinn don’t get me started.
I’ve given up on them mate. It baffles me how they make a living. Considering the amount of knowledge people have about football now I find it insulting that they still use the 1970’s model of commentating. Surely we deserve more than ‘what they need is to get the ball out wide and whip some crosses in’, every time a team fails to score. Nigel Adderley was in my year at school. He was more knowledgeable about footy at 13 than I am now. Big Tranmere fan. I think he’s good. I like Alan Green too. The rest are wank.
Did Can play against West Ham away? I’m chalking his performace up today as just him being knackered. Having had to defend Hazard two weeks in a row and then deal with the physical battles today most have been draining. He looks resilient though and looks to have the makings of a real star. As pleased as I was to see Sturridge back, I think I was more happy for Coutinho. Finally some movement and darting runs and opportunities for some magic. Onwards and upwards….
Big Sakho! plays whole game, clean sheet, all plaudits will go to Raheem and Coutinho, and Sturridge, but Sakho is just as key, paramount to keep him fit would rest him for Bolton. Emre did look knackered and clever to switch him and Skrtel.
This team stays together so exciting young, hungry, skillfull and now solid too, I love the Barca esque get the ball back as quickly as possible after we lose it, relentless. One element missing however is goals from MF and free kicks in particular when Stevie aint’ around, only thing missing from Hendo’s game, maybe Lallana can take on the mantle.
Don’t think I’ve seen a Liverpool central defender win so many headers in one game since Larry Lloyd. Yes, Sakho was boss today. I thought when I saw him going off on Tuesday that he’d be out for a month. He’s a beast alright.
What’s more, the manager finally acknowledged as much today. Sung his praises at last! What with Lovren not making the bench I think he might have seen the light.
Did he finally actually talk him up ?
Took no notice of this until you kept on bringing it up,
It’s strange how Sakho divides opinion, Kevin on the podcast didnt seem to be sold on him either and made me laugh on his take of how he telegraphs his intentions,
Liked him from the first few wobbly games,
Bundles of belief,
Loves a good stare.
Yes he did!
I really liked Kevin’s input on the podcast, I’d like it if he appeared more regularly, and though I’m a Sakho fan, I do understand his reservations. Those of us brought up on Hansen, Thompson and Lawrenson, hell even Crazy Horse, are always going to have high expectations. But it’s a different era, the game is much quicker, rule changes favour attacking players and the current Liverpool side is much more open than teams of yore. All this means we need defenders who can defend and defend and defend: there’s no-one better than Sakho at that.
What a great game. Before Sturridge came in, it looked like it would be another one of those games we’ve been having lately – where we look sharp and creative, but struggle to put it in the net. Dan changed that.
The defense looked solid, too. I missed the first few minutes of the game, so I wasn’t sure why Can was moved to the middle of the back three… but Brendan’s comments make it sound like West Ham may have pushed him a little too hard early on.
More often than not, I have to watch these games at five o’clock in the morning (Hawaii time). I have an eight-month-old who watches with me, a 21-month-old who usually wakes up a few minutes before the last whistle, and a wife who marvels at my unwillingness to not just record and avoid the scores until I’m done watching. It’s miserable watching the Reds lose or play disappointingly. It’s a lonely, lonely experience. I’ve had too many of those mornings since September.
Pumping my arms and running around the living room in silent screams while my infant son looks at me with puzzlement in his eyes is much, much, better. :)
Listened on radio , dancing around my workshop when we scored , just watched it back and what a difference Dan makes. Surgical finish. Coutinho is a witch. Good times. Love these redmen
Loved that line from Neil “walk around him”
That’s exactly how it feels,
He must have been buzzing with that reception he got yesterday,
The whole vibe in the stadium just went up a few notches as he unzipped his trackie top,
The sound bites have been all about not expecting to much and not putting pressure on his shoulders that once he returns it will be all sorted,
Then he comes on and does that,
What a first touch for the goal and then the finish is just clinical,
Past Adrian in a flash,
Very switched on is our Studge,
Bet there ain’t many who complain about the goal celebration any more.
So good to have a proper goal scorer on the pitch again.
Makes a massive difference to how we play.
Defenders actually have something worth worrying about now.
Pity we couldn’t have had one from the start of the season.
Where would we be sitting now??
And another clean sheet to boot!!
As an aside, that was a nice little cameo from Jordon Ibe. Such a shame he’s cup-tied, the Bolton replay would have been perfect for him.
Big month coming up, but with Daniel back and little Phil and Raheem playing the way they are, coupled with a defensive system that works, we should be going into every game fully confident we can win.
That midden of an Anfield pitch though …
Fantastic to see Sturridge back and looking pretty sharp. When that ball put him through, you just knew he was going to find some way to score even though the angle was fairly tight.
I can’t think of any striker who looks more confident when in a one on one situation with the keeper.
We still desperately need another top-class striker though. Sturridge’s return should not make us lose sight of that. He could get injured in the next game. More likely, it will be the next time that Owl-face calls him up for England and over-trains him.
Gerrard should be used as an impact sub from now on really. Coming on with about 15 minutes left to play, when we have run the opposition players into the ground, but have failed to score. He could be worth 4 or 5 extra points, between now and the end of the season, if he is used in this way.
There is very little justification in putting him in the starting XI now, with the other midfielders performing so well. We made West Ham look much poorer than they actually are, yesterday.
My goodness I love watching them play when they’re on it.
The understanding between Lil Phil n Lil Raheem is a joy to behold. No need to think, just play it and the other one is onto it.
I’m also developing a man crush on Sakho. Yes he is ungainly but my, everything you want in a centre back (bar a couple of goals a season)
So glad Sturridge scored. That’ll be a weight off everyone’s shoulders and now we can crack on.
We need 11 maybe 10 wins to get 4th. We have 15 games left. Start counting because we can do it!
Really enjoyed that. Interesting that Balotelli didn’t make the bench with Borini making it. Haven’t heard that balotelli was injured can. Seems that Brendan’s attitude towards him fluctuates quite widely. Like others have posted here I think he’s just not that good at football
Think Coutinho’s pass was genius, virtually unnoticed other than by some posters on here. He had a nanosecond to spot it, half a yard to put it in, needed backspin, and did all that while getting all the defence to look with him towards the touchline, as though there was someone wearing a funny hat in the crowd (trying to avoid saying, ‘giving it the eyes’).
No fluke, no bobble, was so quick that has even gone unrecognised as a pass in pundit circles. Messi, Ronaldo, or one of Butthead’s mob play that it’s on a loop for ever.
Long may it continue. Phil’s shit, really, superpowers, honest – just leave him here at Anfield.
Sakho is becoming King Sakho, in the meantime.
Agreed. One of the best passes you could hope to see. To get backspin with so little time was extraordinary: what technique and vision!
Currently hard to know which is quickest, his brain or his feet; but he’s becoming so good he’s scaring me… And (after Bolton replay tonight) he’s obviously been working on his shooting too! I’m off to hide underneath the bed covers.