Firstly.......wow.
That was a joy to behold and hopefully a sign that 2013 is gonna be a belting year for the Reds. That, coupled with the wins over Fulham and QPR, are showing signs that this system is coming together. Players who've come in for criticism in the past all starting to show signs of their true class. Youngsters coming in and looking as assured as anybody on the pitch. Experienced players coming back to their best. And new players still to arrive. Happy F***ing days all round.
Pepe - outstanding in what he had to do. Never lost faith in him and still wouldn't swap him for anybody. F***ing love you.
Across the back, what can I say? Andre "Norman" Wisdom looked like a beast again. He kind of lost his way after the Derby game at Goodison and made a few mistakes (understandably for a young lad) but tonight he looked like a seasoned pro out there. Real gem of a player him. Agger and Skrtel, who again I've been critical of recently, looked top notch again. Dealt with pretty much everything and commanded the ball when it was in the air. Johnson, who I openly admit I don't rate as highly as some, was F***ing immense. No surprise for me it comes when he's at left back where I still think he's better suited. While I'd of liked Robinson to be given a go in place of Enrique, if that's not going to happen then Johnson has to play there - and for me would play there even when Enrique is fit.
Middle of the park is supposedly where our strength lies with Gerrard and Lucas. Tonight it did. We bossed the game from start to finish in that area. Stevie looks so comfortable playing there and makes us tick when he's that little bit deeper. He hasn't been great this season by any stretch but the last few weeks it's just coming together for him - not before time. Lucas, who has been poor since his return from injury, looked good. He wasn't great and did lose a few passes but as the game wore on he got better and better. For me, that's our best partnership in the middle.
Sterling was quiet but when he did get the ball he made things happen. That's what a winger should be doing and tonight, like most of the season, Raheem did just that. And what a well taken goal. People talk about his poor choices in the final third - I say F**k off. Raheem tends to make the right choice more times than not - just sometimes lacking in execution which I expect from a kid. Henderson, arguably his best game in a Red shirt yet (close call between that and the draw with United last year when he came off the bench). Maybe he wanted to prove a point against his old team, maybe he's just starting to believe he should be playing week in week out for a club like ours. Whatever the reason, he was F***ing boss. Man of the match for me simply because it was probably the most unexpected performance. Downing looks to of hit a good run of form as well as of late. Whether it was being told he could leave, so he's pulled his socks up or maybe it's seeing young kids and left backs getting a run on the wings ahead of him that has spurred him on - again whatever the reason, it's worked. Long may it continue as well.
And up top, Luis Suarez. What the F**k can be the said about that man that hasn't been said already? He's just unplayable, no matter how teams try to stop him they just can't. It doesn't matter the occasion or the opposition, he plays one way. His passion shines through immensely and his skill is just breathtaking at times. And you can see he's a real team player by his celebrations. He always wants to celebrate with his team mates and can't praise them enough.
His name is Luis Suarez and he'll win the golden boot, I just can't get enough.
F***ing great start to the new year.
Follow it up by twatting Mansfield in the FA Cup at the weekend. And continuing this goalscoring, and clean sheet run, going. I don't wanna see a weakened team where we just scrape past them 1-0 or 2-1. I wanna see us go full throttle, put six or seven past them and show that we're really starting to click. Let Luis get himself another goal or two, let Henderson and Downing continue their rich vein of form and lets F***ing prove we're the real deal. Get the game won then "rest" players. Last year we stuffed five past Oldham and six past Brighton. That's what we should be doing this Sunday against Mansfield.
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