Report from Anfield Road/Eastlands

[Paul Marin]

Massive,

Liverpool 2 - 1 Manure. Order is restored in the Universe as the mighty Red Jedi Knights have subdued the Darth Vader's dark forces in an epic battle at the hallowed grounds of Anfield.

I am the first to say I am a very lucky and very fortunate man. One of my best friends is well connected in the English football world and arranged for me to see both the Liverpool v. Manure game and the City v. Chelsea game live today. (Manchester is only about 30 miles from Liverpool and the games were 3+ hours apart). I only just came back to my hotel in London.

Anyway, I have read some of the posts on here, and of course, there is the usual banter which is to be expected. But let me say this, the Premiership will be decided next weekend when Manure go to Stamford Bridge (a game I had tickets for but I now have to go back to America due to work committments). Sad as it is for me to say this, Liverpool won't win the Prem this year. It will be Chelsea or Manure. As great a win as that was for us today, it is not a season. We have a lot more to do and we don't have the depth to do it. I am too tired to go into it, but today's game showed it to me as well.

Anyway, the good news is that Liverpool bossed today's game plain and simple. We gave up an early goal due to lousy defending. I haven't seen the TV yet, but correct me if I'm wrong, it was a great play by Berbatov to cut the ball back to Tevez, but we didn't seem to nuisance him at all and nobody ran with Tevez! However, unlike years past, we didn't lose our composure after going 1-0 down. That was the most encouraging thing about today. The team put up a lot of fight and deserved the equaliser and ultimately the win. Our new winger Riera made mince meat of Wes Brown and will be a key player this campaign. We should have won 3-1 or even 4-1 if Kuyt could have found his goal scoring shoes.

As for the other game. Chelski completely outplayed Robinho and the City man dem, although I was hopeful that City could have eeked out a draw that was not to be. You cannot underestimate how important Deco is to that squad. He has given them a sense of fluidity that is light years ahead of anything Mourinho had to work with. With Deco, Lampard can now run. Cashley Cole can now run. Joe Cole, Malouda and their target men (Drogba or Anelka) now have great service. Plus, Deco RARELY loses the ball. The test will be if they can beat Manure at home on Saturday without their inspirational captain (who was unjustly sent off in my opinion).

I am too tired to continue, but I want to share with you the experience of a big game like the Liverpool v. Manure game. NOTHING that I have ever seen or witnessed came up like today's game.

I will post again tomorrow. Great day.

YNWA

Paul M.

[Mosiah]

Great report!

See you tomorrow!

YNWA

[Tilla]

[Jangle]

I envy you Paul Marin. It is one of my greatest desires to go watch the Empire play live. One of my very good friends is also a Livafool fan and we have made a pact to go to either Ansfield or Old Trafford one day to see our teams compete against each other. I have to give you respect when you say that your likkle side can't win the EPL this year. It takes a big man to admit your inferiorities, unlike the gnat X. I disagree with you though about the championship being decided next week. The big machine that is the Empire has started to roll as yet, so we are still vulnerable right now. As you know by now that we usually go on an extended run when we lose a game, and all the likklebaby frontrunning sides ketch dem fraid when dem hear the heavy-duty machine roll up behind dem. Nice report though. I would love to hear your description of the atmosphere sitting in the stands.

[Karl]

Thanks, boss!
mmmm? X will be besides himself...(message to self) must get myself in a frame of mind to put up with his rantings! ...and I can hear 'mankine' in the distance singing, "You'll never walk alone!"!

[Paul Marin]

Atmosphere

Jangle,

The atmosphere was terrific. To be honest, the crowd at Old Trafford in the Manu v. Chelsea game I went to 2 years ago was louder (FT 1-1), but this was impressive as well. The first thing that you felt at Anfield on Saturday was nervousness. For the games I have been to up there before, there was usually an ease about the people outside the grounds before the game. I didn't feel that this time.

When the starting line up was announced with no Gerrard, no Torres, there was a noticeable tension in the crowd. Grumbling, handwringing etc. Then at kickoff, everyone seemed upbeat. The general concensus of the people around me was that Rafa wanted to keep the score to 0-0 then bring on the skipper and Torres late to ice it. I agreed with that.

Of course that game plan went out the window the minute Tevez scored. In truth, the players were the ones after that who brought the crowd into the game. Their dogedness and determination gave everyone a sense of belief. Particularly Riera, Carragher, Masch and Xabi. Masch was Man of the Match for my money.

From where I sat, I could clearly see the equaliser unfold. What happened as they show it on TV is only half the story. The real reason (to me) that that goal scored was because Riera was giving Wes Brown problems. The two of them (VDS and Brown) were definately worried about his skill, so when the ball came across from the deflection, I believe VDS was thinking - "no f-ing way can I let that ball get to Riera" so he over-extended himself and made the error. He could have just left it, but that would have meant trusting Brown to shield Riera and get to the ball intime to save a corner. Riera's presence caused that goal to happen.

Keep in mind that earlier in the game Reira gave a shift and pop to Brown and Carrick (I believe). After that, Van der Sar was out of his area shouting his ass off at Brown about Riera. I don't know exactly what he was saying, but he clearly was trying to tell Brown to watch it.

Brown to me was the biggest chink in the manure armour. He didn't have a good game. He can't handle skill players. First Riera gave him more than one bruck, then, you will remember, that Ryan Babel gave him a wickid salad down in the corner in front of the Kop. Had Brown been playing in central defence, this could have been a more dangerous situation. Lastly, ask yourself, where was Brown when Babel scored? He and Rio both went with Roy Keane to the goal line leaving Babel alone to spank home the finish. He should have been on Babel - that was his man.

When that goal scored now, that was ATMOSPHERE!! The place went NUTS!! I even got away with hugging up the girl beside me (nothing to write home about - but believe me - there ain't not one good looking woman in the entire north west of England). Everybody was jumping up and down and going friggin' mad. I was hoarse from shouting so much.

Anyway, I encourage you to find a way to make it to one of these games. But a word of warning. Do NOT make the mistake of going to Anfield (or your bredrin to OT) and sit in the opposing team's section without keeping your mouth shut and your colours at home. You will lose your life or be severely harmed. So when you say you and your bredrin want to go and watch a game together, one of you will have to be prepared to be silent...and I mean silent. When I went to OT a few years ago, I had this problem as well, as my stupid eediat fren went and told them he was a Chelsea man - right in the middle of the scum season ticket holders!! I have never watched a game so silently before then and almost got into a fight with the fellow behind me who kept purposely kicking my chair.

I have also had to suffer in silence watching Liverpool play Chelsea on several occassions amongst the Chelscum. I will suffer it again at the end of October when we visit Stamford Bridge.

YNWA

Paul Marin.