AH, the joy of six. So stands our run of consecutive away wins, the latest a comprehensive demolition of the Chelsea arrivistes, a tasty dessert after Sunday’s feast where we stretched the other member of the nouveau riche almost to breaking point.
A hugely enjoyable three days proved that this Liverpool squad has it in them to mix with the best. Whether they can match these levels of motivation and endeavour against the lesser lights of the Premier League remains to be seen, but for the moment let’s revel in two performances that warmed the cockles of this fan’s heart along with thousands of others.
Over the two games we saw nearly the entire squad given a run out, and you’d be hard pushed to find a performance that was less than encouraging. The majority were outstanding, from Adam and Lucas dominating midfield on Sunday, through the effervescent Bellamy and Kelly torturing Chelsea’s left flank on Tuesday night.
What a change from previous seasons where the selection of a second string side would inevitably be followed by an incoherent display by under-achievers unable to raise their game. At Chelsea the likes of Spearing, Coates and Kelly did themselves no harm at all, unfazed by the atmosphere and match status, firm in the tackle and confident in possession.
Charlie Adam now seems to be growing into the shirt after an indifferent start; his reckless challenges are gone, and his excellent distribution is now beginning to indicate that he has convinced himself that he is a Liverpool player – it won’t be long before the majority of fans join him in that belief. Jordan Henderson also produced two solid performances, and Jose Enrique is well on the way to perfecting his impression of Alan Kennedy with his physical commitment and surging runs up the left wing.
But for me the outstanding feature of the two performances has been three players whose careers have enjoyed the most surprising resurrection since Lazarus emerged from his tomb and pulled on his boots for a testimonial.
I confess that I was sceptical when we re-signed Craig Bellamy; everyone knew his talent but I thought we’d had enough of him from last time. My memories were of frequent offsides, few goals and incongruous golf swings. However he’s shown a great maturity and flexibility on his return, happy to be called on when required and so obviously loving every minute of being back at the club.
Maxi Rodriguez had never been one of my favourites either, looking like another of Benitez’s bad buys who flattered to deceive down the flanks. Since Kenny’s arrival he has been a man transformed, adding a real goal threat to his diligent running and passing.
He’s never going to frighten the horses with his tackling, but roll an inviting ball across the six-yard box and you can bet your last peso that Maxi will be on hand to slot it home.
And what of Lucas?
Seldom can a player have turned the affections of the fans so completely as the Brazilian: where his tackles used to resemble a swinging five-bar gate, his interventions now show meticulous timing and precision; his languid gait has been replaced by an urgent pressing style; and his aerial challenges now look more balletic than pathetic.
A welcome transformation indeed.
Who knows, if Kenny had stuck around last time even Igor Biscan might have become a player.
