Wolves v Liverpool: Preview

On the surface, there are few reasons to be optimistic ahead of this one. We have an awful record away from home; we have an awful record against teams that take the physical approach to playing us; we have an awful record away against Wolves; we have awful form full-stop going into this game; we have been awful defensively for some time having conceded roughly double the number of League goals than was the norm in the Benitez years...

I’m looking for reasons to be optimistic and I have come up two...

1) Dalglish

We have undoubtedly received a boost from the Return of the King, even if results haven’t obviously improved as yet. Performances have been markedly better and the tactics appear infinitely more suited to the personnel at our disposal. Having to play at high intensity for 60 minutes with 10 men at Old Trafford against Howard Webb’s team left us visibly tired. That and Gerrard’s suspension, contributed to the weakened team fielded at Bloomfield Road just 3 days later which, despite starting well, lost out to a much, much fresher team – Blackpool had rested their entire XI on the weekend in preparation. We then faced the blood and thunder test of a Merseyside derby just 4 days later and were fantastic in the first half but lost our best centre-half at half-time to illness and gifted two soft goals in the immediate aftermath before composure was regained. Despite the set-back, we battled our way back into the game but had nothing left in the tank to push for a winner that wouldn’t have been undeserved. We have undoubtedly been unlucky in the way events unfolded in these games but I firmly believe that if we keep playing as we have, with the benefit of more freshness (and this time Wolves played in mid-week while we had the week to rest and prepare), we’ll start getting some positive results.

2) Torres

Against the Blueshite there was something noticeably different about Torres. He had this look in his eyes that has been missing for some time. Rather than looking like a pissed off player anxiously anticipating the next cynical blow to the back of his head to be tolerated by the referee who will immediately book him the second he protests, Torres had a steely look of focused anger. There was something about him that said he was in the mood to torment Everton’s backline and that is exactly what he did. He was strong and menacing and Everton’s defenders were terrified of him. Maybe this was a one-off inspired by the derby atmosphere but I hope this was actually a case of Dalglish getting inside the man’s head and convincing him that defenders should be scared of him; not the other way round. The best attacking players tease and torture defenders before finally putting them out of their misery. That is what Torres did throughout the 2007-08 season but it has rarely been seen since despite his impressive goal stats continuing. If Torres is in the right frame of mind, Wolves beware!

So would I take a draw before the game? My head says ‘yes’, my heart says “Fuck off, we’re Liverpool!”. Come on Red men!!!!