Maxi Shows That Unity Is Strength

BY KP

A five nil victory over Birmingham was just the tonic in our chase not only to close the season on an upward curve, but to keep the pressure on Spurs for place in Europe. The positive aspect of our wins against Man City and Birmingham  and the draw against Arsenal is the obvious unity and resilience in the squad.  Whether It’s been Flanagan or Robinson, Jay Spearing finally getting a run in the team or as in yesterday’s game Maxi Rodriguez, the spirit in the team has been there for all to see.  Players seemed to what to go that extra mile and for that coaching staff led by Kenny Dalglish, Steve Clarke and the coaching team deserve all the plaudits .

The progress of Lucas from an also ran to a key component of the team is a testament not just to Dalglish, but Benitez beforehand.  His covering of both full-backs, his interceptions and improvement in terms of ball retention and positive forward passes is one of the key denominators in Liverpool’s improvement. His buzzes around so effectively this blog has taken to calling him ‘The Pest’.

Maxi, is another player who Liverpool fans have been critical of, but a lot of his work is understated, in terms of the cover he gives to the left full-back and tucking inside to help his central midfield colleagues.   Whether he is around next season or not Maxi has left his mark indelibly printed on Anfield history with a hat-trick full of the tenacity which has become a byword for particular Liverpool squad under Dalglish.

Maxi wheels away after scoring his third  (Image: Daily Mail)

To make up for the lack of pace in the Liverpool team, they have learnt to move the ball around quicker and with the understanding between players being heightened with the lack of rotation from game to game the interchanges  being led by Meireles, Kuyt and Suarez at times is glorious. That quick movement led to the early goal when after a swift interchange, the all-pervading Spearing unleashed a powerful shot which Ben Foster spilled into the path of the marauding Maxi to slam home in only the seventh minute.  Less than a minute later, Jamie Carragher showed all his experience and something which Flanagan seems to be parodying, by pressuring the flying Jerome as he tried to knock in the impressive Carr’s whipped in near post.

The understanding between Kuyt and Suarez, which is probably helped by the fact they can communicate in Dutch, produced the second goal.  Kuyt’s showed superb awareness to flick the ball through to Suarez bearing down on goal.  Foster, did remarkably well, not only in blocking the initial attempt from Suarez, brilliantly saving from Kuyt.  On the rebound Kuyt swivelled, hooking the ball home.  Unfortunatelty, for Birmingham Foster was injured in his valiant attempts and was replaced by Colin Doyle.

Liverpool continued to assert their dominance and should have gone in a further two goals up. Suarez running on goal, in a one on one situation shot straight at Doyle when a pass to better placed colleagues may have been the order of the day – we may just have to accept that this is just part of his mercurial nature and it’s easy to accept given the key assists and role he fills in the build-up play.  Second, Meireles who since Stevie Gerrard’s injury has taken over as the dead-ball taker from out wide, delivered a peach of free-kick which Dirk Kuyt put wide when it seemed  easier to score.

Understandably, the intensity dropped in the second-half, which allowed Liverpool total control and Suarez to almost repeat his trademark maisy-run which only faultered with his miss-control.  On 65 minutes Liverpool’s control was such that Skrtel had the time to play a looping ball over the top to Suarez, who was played on-side by the hardworking Carr, who from the by-line delivered an inch-perfect cross for Maxi to side foot volley home without breaking stride. The pairing almost repeated the feat four minutes, with Maxi just failing to connect.

Maxi’s not stop running was soon rewarded, when he latched on to Suarez’s pass, his shot was parried out, where he fastened on to clinically dispatch an angle-drive.  It was well deserved for an obviously popular member of the team.  Joe Cole rounded of a successful day, when after replacing Meireles, he cut in from the right wing, his near post short went in under the hapless Doyle.

Hard work is the order of the day, with every player putting in a shift, and allowing the more gifted players like Suarez to flourish.  To even be attempting  a run at usurping Spurs shows just how far we have come and as comfortable as this victory was, these are the types of matches which presented a problem all season, so fair play to Maxi et al.

KOP POST MAN OF THE MATCH: Maxi Rodriguez