Liverpool Story — October 2013, Keeping Up the Good Form

Hello everyone, I’m back and welcome back to my Liverpool story! Last time I posted (which was a while ago) we were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, and had whupped Olympiakos in the Champions League. So onto the story.

The first game of October was a Champions League tie at home to group also-rans Braga. I expected us to win, and hoped we could knock a few goals against the Portuguese side. We got off to a great start, in the eighth minute Gerrard turned and curled one in from 25 yards. We doubled the lead in the twenty third minute, Torres slotted in after a good run and pass from Gignac. Torres grabbed his second soon after when he headed in Silva’s cross, and he completed his hat trick with a crashing long range effort before half time. We were completely dominating and the fifth goal came when Gignac ran through and powered in. The scoring was completed by Glen Johnson, returning from injury as a sub, he beat a defender and finished. It was a good win from us and I was pleased with how good we were going forward, something which was to become a theme throughout the month.

Next up for us was a home game against Portsmouth, back in the Premier League. Once again we scored early, Jack Wilshere reacted the quickest to a loose ball and slotted in. Wilshere got his second in the thirty fourth minute, coming inside from the right, he beat a defender and curled it into the top corner. It was a brilliant goal, he was taking his chance with Sanchez out injured. The third was scored after regen Paul Bailey was sent off for a shocking tackle on Gerrard, Javier Mascherano scored a rare goal with a long range shot that squirmed past the keeper. Mascherano then got an even rarer second goal with a placed shot from the edge of the box, after fine work from Gignac. Both Wilshere and Mascherano were now on hat tricks, but it was Wilshere who scored his third, and the teams fifth with a volley at the back post. It was a good win, we had now scored eleven goals in the last two games!

The next game was going to be much more difficult, we were travelling to Old Trafford to face in form Man United. I was expecting a tough game so I decided to play a 4-2-3-1 deep formation, with Mascherano and Magnanelli protecting the back four. My fears came true when United broke from our corner, Guiseppi Rossi was clean through and he finished past Reina. We went into half time 1-0 down, but I was pretty pleased with the performance, as we had been the better team. We were rewarded straight after half time when Silva played in Torres, who doesn’t miss from five yards. I was very pleased at the reaction to conceding and I was even happier when Torres broke past the thirty five year old Ferdinand and fired a powerful shot into the top corner. After that United began to dominate and missed some great chances, the best being Valencia’s effort that he somehow missed from three yards. The result was probably harsh on Man Utd, a draw would have been fair, but we held on for a fantastic win and I wasn’t complaining.

After the game the players headed straight off for international duty. England had two games, against Austria at home and Cyprus away. We had to win both games as we were second, two points behind Switzerland and second would have meant a play off, which I reallly didn’t want. The firts game was against Austria and with Ashley Young suspended, I brought in James Milner on the left of midfield. He immiedately proved his selection ahead of Joe Cole and Theo Walcott, with a placed finish after a nice move. Gerrard scored the second twelve minutes later, he drove in after running on to Crouch’s pass. Gerrard got his second, his fourtieth for England, after half time with a placed finish after a good ball from Hargreaves, who was in for the injured Huddlestone. Substitute Jay Rodriguez scored the fourth, a cool finish after Rooney’s fine pass. Rooney completed the scoring with a powerful shot to round off a good 5-0 win. The good news after the game was that Switzerland lost 3-0 to Ireland, meaning we were now top.

All we had to do was win in Cyprus to secure top spot and qualification to the World Cup 2014, and I was confident we could do it. Sure enough the players went out in confident mood and Peter Crouch opened the scoring early on with a volley from ten yards. The second came when Lennon’s cross was palmed into his own net by their goalkeeper, a big slice of luck for us. Crouch got his second with a firm header and we had qualified for the World Cup!

So here is the group table then. Two points seperated us from Switzerland, I guess we really owe Ireland one for beating them! We should have qualified a bit easier than this, I am a little disappointed with the difficulty some poor teams caused us. However, the main point is that we qualified and I am hopeful we can go along way in the World Cup.

After those exploits with England it was back to Liverpool and the Premier League, we were facing Wigan at home. Once again we got off to a great start, Gignac slotted in from Aquialni’s pass. Aquilani was only playing due to an injury Mascherano picked up on international duty, which will keep him out for three weeks. Gerrard continued his remarkable scoring form, doubling our lead on twenty minutes with a shot from eight yards. Ben Watson pulled one back with a cross that flew over Reina and dropped in, and Wigan equalised after half time when Ross McCormack smashed in on the turn. We went ahead again, Gerrard’s swung in the corner and after a scramble Roy Carroll got the last touch and it went in. The game was killed off when Gignac broke down the right following a Wigan corner and crossed to Torres in five yards of space and he passed it past Carroll. Jules Jourdain went in recklessly in the seventy fifth minute and earned himself a red card. I was livid, he will now be banned for three games. However, we got our fifth when Glen Johnson was first to the ball from a corner and he scored. It was another good win, we had now scored eighteen goals in four games in October!

The next match of a very busy month was to be against Bordeaux, in the Champions League, again at home. I was confident we could win, but I thought it was going to be quite a difficult game. I was worried when Kerzhakov fired the French side in front. We drew level in the twenty seventh minute, Torres reacted the quickest after Gignac’s header hit the bar. After that it was one way traffic, Gignac put us in front and there was no stopping us. Torres scored two more, a placed shot and a powerful shot to take his tally in the Champions League to nine in four games (including the Super Cup) and goals from Danielsson and Gerrard made it six. It was probably a bit of an unfair scoreline, three or four would have justified our performance, but I wasn’t bothered about that.

After that and the Braga game here is the current group table:

We sit pretty at the top and one more win should secure qualification for us, hopefully we can do it in the next Champions League match.

Next for us was a crucial game, the derby at Goodison Park against Everton. We had never lost to Everton under my management , and I really didn’t want to end that run here. We fell behind on twenty minutes when Valeri Bojinov smashed in from the edge of the box. We hit back right away though, Gignac slid the ball home after goood work from the fit again Alexis Sanchez. We went behind again though, Rodwell rose to nod in at the back post from a corner. We then continued to create some chances but I was worried we were going to slip to defeat until Sanchez popped up to equalise with a placed shot. Just two minutes later we took the lead for the first time, Torres beat Jagielka in the air and headed in a winner. There was time for Everton to strike the post, but we managed to hold on.

That concludes our League action for October, so here is the League table:

We have opened up a six point lead, and with a game in hand over Man City, I feel we should win the league with ease this year.

The matches weren’t over though, we had one more game to play, in the League Cup and we travelled to Old Trafford. We couldn’t have got a much tougher draw. Unfortunately alot of the players were tired after a very congested fixture list, so I sent out a very young team, and just hoped for the best. I wasn’t expecting much, especially as United named a full strength side. Sure enough we were two down in twenty six minutes, Rooney getting both goals. Niklas Danielsson pulled one back before half time and we went in 2-1 down. I was pretty pleased with my young teams performance and I became even happier when Danielsson fired in from fifteen yards to make it 2-2. Man Uinted went back in front through Guiseppe Rossi’s penalty. However I was not happy with the decision as there seemed to be minimal contact. The game was killed off by Rooney who grabbed his hat trick, although Danielsson also completed his with a great goal, he beat two defenders and smashed in from twenty yards. The match finished 4-3, but I was happy with my young teams performance and I wasn’t really too bothered because it was the League Cup.

Just so you know the team I fielded in that game was: Varga, 18, regen, Johnson, Nystad, 18, regen, Otamendi, Anderson, 19, regen, Srna, Magnanelli, Brown, 19, regen, Kortadi, 19, regen, Wilshere (21) and Danielsson, 22, regen.

That’s all for now folks, I leave you with the fixtures we have for November. Mercifully it’s not as busy as October as we have no international games, but there are some tough matches in there.

Thanks for reading, everyone, I know it’s quite a long post.