Monday, February 09, 2009

Hunger For Title Evident

Well, that was an emotional rollercoaster Alton Towers would be proud of. An unbelievable game that showed the spirit of this Liverpool team.

To come back again and again proves that these players really are hungry for the title. The celebrations of the winner epitomised that.

Interesting how people are still having a go at us in the media when Manchester United would be hailed for their resilience if it was they who came back. We have also scored more league goals than United this season which makes a mockery of the perception that Ferguson’s team are an attacking dream.

I am really pleased for Rafa Benitez; some of the rubbish being spouted by the media has been way over the top. Here we have a fantastic manager who really is a victim of raising expectations.

This man could have easily left on many occasions to take the Madrid job but why didn’t he? Simple – the man truly loves this football club, time for everyone to give him the respect he deserves.

The squad did look a bit threadbare, which led to a bold team selection. And for a long time it looked like it would lead to a damaging result.

However the old guard thankfully rescued us in the form of Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres. Kuyt has his detractors including myself, but it was a great finish, maybe the way forward is to use him as an impact substitute when the opposition are tiring.

It’s impossible to not admire Torres, already a true great. A consummate professional and a great ambassador for the club, we have had a long list of these but I have the feeling we’ll still talk about this guy decades down the line.

The international break has scarcely been more welcome. Torres himself has admitted he’s played too much football, which vindicates Rafa’s decision to use him sparingly in this fixture. When the league action resumes we need to keep the momentum, because the league is still very much winnable. To be in this position is proof of the progress – fact.

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