LIVERPOOL 1 MANCHESTER CITY 0 #premierleague #bookreading #audiobook #liverpoolfc #lfc #mcfc

"I have long described today’s two teams as the best two club football teams in the world and whilst Real Madrid have firmly usurped the mighty Reds of Liverpool in that particularly worthless and opinionated bracket, they had to show their very current best today and they did so through an immense “spine” of goalkeeping custodian Alisson Becker, a returning Andy Robertson and an almost faultless display from “Man of the Match” Joe Gomez. Whilst Thiago Alcântara was quiet and arguably overshadowed by incredible midfield displays from İlkay Gündoğan and particularly the mercurial brilliance of Bernardo Silva, Fabinho was his marshalling self again and 19 year old Harvey Elliott played out of his boots (again) linking the lines from midfield into an attack and crucial first line of defence in Diogo Jota, as well as match winner Mo Salah who was described at half-time by ex Liverpool Red Jamie Carragher as being “electric” today.

He had to be and backed by a defensive unit who simply had to keep a footballing “clean sheet” as well as keeping a marauding Manchester City out, they did, and on sheer rugged, dogged determination and endeavour alone, deservedly took all 3 points and inflicted City’s first defeat of a long hard season ahead.

Whereas the first half was patterned in a thrust/counter thrust narrative and swamped in elongated stretches of attack versus defence, the second half settled into the expected pattern of Manchester City dominating possession of the ball with Liverpool looking to spring the transitions from midfield into attack and arguably “playing long” and fighting for possession of the second or loose balls. There was a fluidity of both movement and formations in the first half and especially when seen through the lens of Liverpool Red.

Skipper James Milner was arguably as much an old style right wing half as opposed to the emergency right back that he really was, and the veteran put in an assuredly excellent display. Jota floated across the central attacking line, as did the rightly described electric Mo Salah and the minimal goal scoring chances in an absorbing first half fell to the team dominating that particular passage of play".

The above is a short extract from a much longer chapter found in Part 2 and the 2022-2023 season section of my first self-published book (and the book I've always wanted to write) on Liverpool Football Club.

Many more to follow but first, here's a link to a book I'm immensely proud of as well as other ways and means of supporting me, if you are able, to thumb the eye of the traditional publishers who refused to read my original manuscript!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6W6TYCL

https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.paypal.me/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/steveblackford

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