Liverpool 2 Wolves 0 - Season 2022-2023

Under the chapter heading "Reds back to winning ways against a toothless Wolves", here's a light-hearted reading from a book I'm incredibly proud of, an extract of which follows together with a link for the book itself and other ways and means of supporting me (if you can) 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

"All’s well that ended well this evening at Anfield as Liverpool’s “Sword of Damocles Season” continued along its perilous way. Ten goals conceded and dumped out of two of the three cup competitions since the resumption of domestic competition after world soccer’s shindig in Qatar, this evening’s 2–0 victory confirmed ten points from a possible twelve in their last four Premier League games, and four consecutive clean sheets for a still shaky defence under the command of the man with the most magnificent of beards in the Reds goal, Brazilian shot stopper extraordinaire, Alisson Becker. Ali made a crucial save on just five minutes when he tipped a goal bound effort from João Mountinho around his far post for a corner, but was a distant spectator for the remaining 85 minutes in which he was never called upon for any further meaningful action.

The only other meaningful action from the giant Brazilian in the Reds goal started the wonderful team move that flowed from one end of Anfield to the other on 77 minutes for Mo Salah’s game-defining second goal.

As I said, all’s well that ended well.

18 year old wunderkind Stefan Bajčetić tamely volleyed toward the Wolves goal mere seconds before Mountinho brought out the very best in the Reds goalkeeping custodian, and in a lively opening five minutes this evening that threatened real promise of an exciting, attacking contest. Alas a drab, dull first half followed, only illuminated by the performance of Fabinho in the Reds midfield who had a quite outstanding first 45 minutes. His tackle started the counter attack that followed via Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez that saw the Reds other midfield teenage sensation, Harvey Elliott, head wide on 39 minutes when he should have scored. It was Fabinho again who started the flowing move early in injury time that resulted in Elliott being denied at the near post by a smart save from Wolves goalkeeper José Sá.

Aside from this, I mused upon why so many teams insist on a silver coloured away strip that looks white to the naked eye (my own Reds are alas, equally culpable) and worried that the real highlight of this evening’s first half was Mo Salah playing skittles in the Wolves penalty area! On 34 minutes, the diminutive Egyptian King was tussling with the aforementioned and equally small of stature João Moutinho on the Wolves goal line as they jostled for position at a Reds corner. Salah, that dastardly brute of a man, pushed Moutinho who comically fell backwards, taking his goalkeeper José Sá with him!

I was instantly reminded of my football travelling pal of decades past, a genial gentleman by the name of Charlie who, when players of the diminutive stature of say Michael Owen or Vladimír Šmicer tussled and picked a fight with a much bigger, wider and tougher opponent, would leap from his seat and tell our bantamweight champions to stop picking on the heavyweights!

“Put him down Vlad you big brute!” was one such memory I’ve probably made up but the kernel of truth is there, as was the real truth that this first half was only highlighted by a game of human skittles, silver football kits that look white, and Harvey Elliott belying his teenage years and urging the team he adores forward in search of a much needed Premier League victory. Wolves offered nothing in the way of attacking purpose in a second half entirely dominated by a Liverpool team who believed they had the first goal of the game on 65 minutes until VAR, that sucker of footballing joy, intervened to say otherwise and whilst Núñez’s celebration was cut short, he was first on the scene as Virgil van Dijk leapt for joy after his header did count, was a goal, and the Reds finally in front on 73 minutes. Four minutes later and the game was over as a contest, and what a gem of a goal it was. From Alisson Becker’s long throw and via a neat one/two between Cody Gakpo and Kostas Tsimikas, the Greek international marauded forward before squaring to Mo Salah who whilst bundling home the goal in off his thigh, it rounded off a move from back to front, goalkeeper to goal scorer, in six or seven total touches of the ball, and only a handful of exhilarating seconds".

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