Liverpool Turning it Around

No Fernando Torres, No Steven Gerrard, No Jaime Carragher? Yes, and the Reds Produced

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
December 8, 2010

It was a frigged Monday night at Anfield Road in Liverpood. The Reds without there three most prized and loved players. Steven Gerrard out with a hastring injury left over from International Duty with England. Jaime Carragher out for three months facing surgery on a dislocated shoulder. Fernando Torres not injured but about to welcome a new Red into the world as his wife Olalla Torres was in labor and he missed the game to be by her side as she delivered their second child, a son named Leo. With all this afoot, could the remaining charges dismiss Aston Villa and Gerrard Houllier on his return to his once home in front of the Kop?

The simple answer is, YES. Aston Villa, though depleted by injury as well, were clinically put to the sword. Liverpool cruised to an easy victory on the Back of early first half goals by David Ngog, and unlikely hero Ryan Babel. Maxi Rodriguez would finish off the night with a second half counter attack goal that was brilliantly executed and sublimely finished. All in all it was a great night for the Reds as a result was desperately needed to keep hopes alive for a Champions League Place for next season.

Former Liverpool boss Gerrard Houllier recieved a warm welcome by the fans, but his players were deceimated on the pitch. The Villian team, a far cry from that of Martin O'Neil's side which defeated the Reds last year at Anfield, was simply not up to the task. Houllier was forced to deputize, same as Roy Hodgson, with players from the youth system and the reserve bench with the likes of Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker being lost to injury. However, the youth and fringe charges of the Liverpool Reds did there job looking anything like youth or inexperienced.

This result proves vital to the Reds English Premier League campaign as they have now risen to 8th place in the table. The victory also proves that despite not having their star players the Reds can win. New signing Raul Miereles is proving his ability to distribute in the absence of Gerrard, and Maxi is coming into his own as he appears to have fully adjusted to life in the Primeirship following his arrival from La Liga's Athletico Madrid. Following this display of form Roy Hodgson perhaps can feel some respite from the crushing pressure and criticism he has felt for the majority of the season.

However, the Reds are not out of the woods yet. With a trip to Newcastle on the weekend, the Magpies will look to stifle the Reds resurgent form. But with the Toon reeling from the surprising and albeit ridiculous sacking of Manager Chris Houghton it will be a different Newcastle team that the Reds will see on the Weekend. In respect to Houghton, if winning promotion with a League Championship, and having a team picked for relegation in the middle of the table at nearly Christmas is a bad job, I am at a loss for words. I guess Mike Ashley just needed to get back in the news.