Tuesday 5 August 2008

Valerenga 1-4 Liverpool: Finding our groove as new season looms

This performance along with that at Ibrox on Saturday shows that the Reds are finding their feet in pre season with the Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege now exactly a week away.

Valerenga were no great shakes and we didn't expect them to be either. But this was a fairly clinical unravelling of the Norweigan side in front of their enthusiastic home support and the thousands of Norwegian Reds delighted to get a rare live glimpse of Rafa's men or - as it turned out in the second half - boys.

Once Torres and Benayoun had put the game to bed, it was only Pepe Reina, Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger who had any first team experience of those remaining on the field.

The rest was the pick of Gary Ablett's title winning reserve side and the once again impressive David Ngog whose form in pre season means he'll more than likely be lining up at Anfield and not at the Halliwell Jones this coming season.

Xabi Alonso's first half strike was sublime after a smart lay off from Robbie Keane whose just itching to get amongst the goals but was unlucky again tonight.

Alonso has really looked backed to his old self in the past two games, pre season they may but there seems to be a real desire from the Spaniard to show he's worthy of remaining at the club. I really hope he stays, whether or not Gareth Barry eventually arrives.

After the home side pulled level early in the second half, Fernando Torres produced a typical Torres goal, scorching past a defender before a low sidefoot into the net.

Yossi Benayoun, another player rumoured to be on the way out but equally as desperate as Alonso to stay and showing his best form this summer, scored a peach of a goal, skillfully weaving past two defenders before a delightful lob into the far corner.

That was the cue for Benitez to get the youngsters out.

Jay Spearing had already been on the field since early in the first half after Stevie Gerrard came off with what looked like a recurrence of his groin problem.

But Wirral born Spearing wasn't any great shakes tonight, he gave the ball away a couple of times and made some silly tackles. He's a game lad, but he just doesn't seem to offer much more at this level.

Kristian Nemeth was the brightest of the youngsters I thought. He was unlucky with a header and a fierce strike on goal. The Hungarian should hopefully make some inroads on the first team this season.

But it was Ngog who takes the plaudits with another fine goal after holding off the defenders down the left hand side and finishing it off with a cool, low strike into the far corner.

That's eight goals in two games for the Reds. Granted the opposition weren't up to much in either of the games but after a slow start to pre season, the Reds are amongst the goals, the new boys are all impressing and the youngsters are staking their claim. It's looking good.

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