Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… please take your seats. Welcome to the biggest show on Earth.
After our back-to-back wins against Blackburn (the first time Torres has netted since late August – just the second time this season (incidentally the same match in which Carragher scored his 7th own goal for the club)) and Bolton - the ball hasn’t stopped rolling. Some of it has been clean cut and beautiful to watch, some of it has been a quick and dirty 5 minutes with lady luck that we’ll never talk about in detail again: but all said and done it’s never looked more like Liverpool.
Gerrard managed to deliver a hat trick in the space of 14 minutes. Just have a moment to drink that in.
Losing 1 – 0 at half time at home to Napoli in the Europa qualifiers and Roy decides to give our captain a run out. As far as the commentators understood it he’d told Gerrard that he wouldn’t be used unless it was desperate, he’d also been reportedly confessing that the Europa doesn’t count for much in the grand plan this season. Needless to say Stevie hit the turf running – instantly transforming the way the team played. The fans came alive, the players picked up the pace and the game took on a very different feeling. 75 minutes along Gerrard threw a hap-hazard challenge into the keeper as the pair went to ground over a spilled save. He managed to squeeze it into the net and Anfield erupted. Less than 15 minutes later captain fantastic placed the ball on the penalty spot and just a single minute after putting that away he managed to lift the ball gracefully over the keeper for his third. 3 – 1 in front of the home crowd. 3 – 1 in front of new owner John W Henry and his young wife Linda Pizzuti.
It seems that since she considered flying to the uk for G’s comeback tour she’s been dishing out the good vibes and the players are starting to pick up on it. Messrs Hicks and Gillette had nothing on Henry and his bit of stuff (for the curious he was 59 and she was 30 when they tied the knot) who’s enjoying the experience immensely. She was having chat with fans about which chants to learn before the game on Sunday and she grinned like a Cheshire cat when they rang around the ground.
Then, from the shadows came a player with his heart on his sleeve. 3 days later the Chelsea team-bus pulled into the Kop. The Kids first goal couldn’t have been more Torres - consummately bringing it down into close possession and turning in the same movement – a beautiful touch and a fortunate finish. He managed to boot the ball hard down into the ground and Cech was already flapping by the time it lifted over him and found its way into the corner. 1 – 0 after 11 minutes. In a matter of 3 weeks we’ve come from relegation zone to mid table, and after just 11 minutes against the untouchable Champions we’re 1 – 0 up. Again we’re at home. Again Henry’s wife looks on with a glint in her eye. (Here’s hoping someone put her onto the armband chant).
Just before the stroke of half time Raul Miereles found Torres on the far left spreading it cleanly across the deck. What followed was from the Nando school of learning and Chelsea fans know it all too well: cutting inside he found a most absurd angle and hit the ball somewhere around a yard and a half wide – Cech didn’t move as the ball hit it’s curve and swept into the far side of goal. 2 – 0 to the pool. Drogba was subbed on for the second half but he was little use against Pepe.
The number 25 was as faultless as ever in his reason form – one more performance to convince the unbelievers that he’s in for a good shot at being the Premier League’s number one goal keeper. Watch out in the internationals Iker, it’s not plain sailing any more. Even without star defender Sotiros the shaky back four held out. Kelly had his first start at right back and it’s fair to say he did a job.
So is this the beginning? We’re up and running at last but there’s a hard slog ahead of us. Are we back to pay the top flight a visit and clinch some silverware in the process? I’m not going to say it but I’m quietly confident. It’s all down to Roy in January now.
