TERRACE TALK: Liverpool - Some festive cheer in our helter-skelter season
As the designated happy Terrace Talker this merry morn, it falls upon me to be The Chirpy One. Easier said than done. If I were visited by three Christmas ghosts, I’d call an exorcist.
The only sign of festive cheer came from the alcohol which loosened the larynx on Saturday.
I stood with the beloved and my sister at the back of the Kop, which is always pretty loud anyway but you’re never sure how much it’s projecting around the rest of the ground.
You’re meant to be on your best behaviour, out in public with the womenfolk, but one inept toot of Martin Atkinson’s whistle and the Tourette’s began.
Your loved ones always have an inkling of what you’re like at the match but best not to overexpose them to it. Even Lallana’s tired ‘trickery’ provoked the sister into a foul epithet or two. I blame the parents…
How comforting is it the rest of the league is as nuts as Liverpool? It’s giving half the division a sense anything is possible and a short run of victories can spin anyone into dreamland.
Red optimism was tempered by yet more injuries. Klopp might be pushing them too hard but it’s been like this since Brendan’s more leisurely regimen and it’s getting worse.
The advantage of Skrtel’s sabbatical (apart from not having to watch Skrtel) was seeing how Lovren did on the right of defence. The words “duck to water” sprang to mind, wariness of hoodoo rushes to judgement notwithstanding. He was terrific all afternoon.
By contrast, Sakho is intent on proving his dimwit critics correct. Lots of told-you-so’s from experts about Mamadou lately, but he can pass and project security. Not recently, but if he’s ring-rusty, that’s understandable.
They all played brightly, but, oh, the finishing. You can run/pass/tackle all you want but if you don’t score, why bother?
It was a drag on the atmosphere. There are only so many times you watch players go clean through and screw up before you stop getting excited any more. We’ve got to be the worst in the division in front of goal.
By contrast, Leicester have been hitting the net regularly but looked ill at ease all afternoon. They’re entitled to a lapse.
I suppose most expect them to go belly-up now, especially tomorrow against Man City, but woe betide any Liverpool fan who gets snotty.
“Your strikers are in the form of their lives, that’ll paper over any cracks.” What, like us two years ago?
Benteke’s a case in point. He wouldn’t even have a shot at one point, your £30m striker. Took his goal well, all of a sudden he wants to shoot every time he’s close apart from that debacle at the end.
He obviously had visions of starring in one of those ‘Football’s Greatest Gaffes’ compilations and froze. Suarez would have buried it first time without blinking. Confidence is key.
Mignolet also returned to the team last St Stephen’s Day and coincidentally they went on a great run, not losing another league game until March against… well, we won’t go into that. Klopp didn’t lead the players to the Kop this time, despite the result being better than against Albion. Perhaps he’s made his point?
He was singing “happy birthday” to somebody in his last presser. Honestly, all that’s wearing off a bit now and getting slightly tedious but I seem to be in the miserable minority for once.
The managers you like get away with more. Mourinho gets shot from a cannon just for the wind changing direction, the less said about Van Gaal the better.
Nice to have a manager you don’t want to throttle on a regular basis, but if it camouflages flaws then that could become dangerous.
