Round Table: Liverpool V FC Anzhi

Posted by Corkboy on October 25, 2012, 11:02:48 pm

Fortress Anfield.

I don't know what the stats were but that's three clean sheets on the trot. Mind you, Anzhi weren't up to much. It must be a real bother for them having to fly for six or seven hours when usually it's only one hour in a plane for home games. But we kept them out, Jones saved a couple of handy ones and suddenly we look solid. Not too solid, though. Not when you're still playing from out the back with a one goal lead and five minutes on the clock but dash it all to hell, man, that's proper football!

How do we like Sahin as the controller? Is he the new Lucas/Allen with added corners? He certainly put in a shift tonight.

How do we like Downing as a marauding left back? And as he has demonstrated he can do more than stand on his swinger with his well taken goal (although the Anzhi keeper seemed utterly bewildered), he's already better than Riise...

How do Anzhi like Eto'o as coach, central midfielder, chief pointer and glarer? Watch out Ibrahimovic, there are bigger egos still out there.

On the worrying side, we are getting into the habit of losing the ball when it gets to Suarez. It's all or nothing with this guy, he'll either shin it five yards away from himself or he'll do the defender and bear down on goal all with one touch. There's very little middle ground. Maybe he was a bit leggy.

One moment stood out a little for me, on about 50 minutes when Gerrard headed narrowly wide, and only because it started with a lump up to someone's head. Nice that we still do that occasionally, it seemed to take them by surprise.

Finally, I still don't know why Johnson went off, and I can't complain after Downing deputised so ably, but he really is a Rolls Royce of a player. Fast and strong, composed and daring, he looked easily our most potent weapon in the first half when he linked up very well with Assaidi (who also deserves a mention, standout performance from the new McManaman). Johnson put him clean away several times with a glorious right foot, inside out the full back pass and got beyond Assaidi himself to good effect. But then his replacement won the game so what do I know?

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