I Broke My Golden Rule
Everton a
17th of October, 2020.
I am never going to celebrate a goal again – having broken my golden rule of not looking to see if a linesman had put his flag up, after the ball had hit the net. Jordan Henderson’s goal should have stood – end of story.
After I’d got to Dave’s; I took the opportunity of weighing myself; 12 stone 9 the scales revealed. Not too bad I gauged, for a 6 foot 4 man. That’s not much – Carly said, in so many words, as I thought of all the very quick walking I’d done in the week, in work!
I got the soft sweets – not that I intended to eat them as I’ve been getting a tad of toothache – all them biscuits and chocolate I eat have come back to bite me on the gums, so I’m taking it easy with my sugar content. The game was going to be more than enough of a gob filler to get me to love the game again – like the lushiest piece of Mint Aero chocolate.
Liverpool were coming into the 237th Merseyside Derby on the back of a 7-2 loss at Villa, and it could have been more as I listened to nearly every minute. A response was required – a fighting one and within seconds the reds had set out a marker with swift, slick, attacks, with first time passes. I had not seen us play with such verve in a long while.
With one such attack the ball landed at Mane’s right foot and he almost flicked the ball into the roof of Pickford’s net to make it 1-0 after only about 3 minutes. This set the trend for what would be one of the most dramatic Derbies in a while.
I was off my seat and running towards the large clock in celebration! If I’d fallen out of love with my team; there they were again, showing me why I’d loved them for at least 40 years, and counting. I shouted some nice complimentary rude words towards the Everton bench as I thought about them being top of the League after 4 games; with a perfect start.
Liverpool were on top and should and could have put the game to bed in the first half an hour as Salah failed to get any venom on two shots with his right foot after he had wriggled his way into the 6 – yard box. It was criminal but that’s Mo; you’ve got to take him as he is. Also, Mane blazed wide as Thiago thumped a free-kick in on goal.
Early doors, Virgil van Dijk went for a ball in the left corner of Pickford’s 6 – yard box and got clattered by the England keeper. It wasn’t intentional, I’m sure but Virg stayed down for a little while and then had to go off. We were both worried as Virgil has been a rock at the back since his debut in 2018. He is simply irreplaceable.
Gomes came on to partner Joel Matip and as these two are both off the pace and off form and also made of glass, our defensive vulnerability will become a big problem – over the coming 9 – months, as that is as long as Virgil will be out for, after suffering an ACL injury to his knee…
Everton were hardly in the game but after breaking our dangerously exposed high line, with one pass, which resulted in a corner, they scored from the set-piece, with a close- range header. Don’t ask me to tell you who scored – it was irrelevant. I was just gutted we’d conceded.
So, 1-1 at the break. More tea made by Dave’s fair hand as Carly basked in the rarity of having a weekend off and they were going to make the most of it by having a game of bowls and just happen to bump into their mates – social distanced of course, with a beer or two, with 8 – year old baby Kelsey in tow, as she never leaves Dave’s side.
More of the same fare in the second period, with me actually being retro and watching an individual for a change, instead of the ball. I could not have picked a better player as Thiago was so neat in possession and always tried a forward pass with such ease that he carried a conductor’s baton in the back of his shorts pocket like girls carry their mobiles in the back of their jeans. ‘Crouch’, said Dave, ‘he’s your boyfriend, isn’t he?’ said Dave, laughing as I drooled over another of Thiago’s passes who was playing like Xabi Alonsoesque – there can be no greater compliment. Years ago, when I used to go the match, me and this lad called Martin, would both pick separate players to watch, before going into the ground and I used to enjoy it – as though I was a scout or something. Didi Hamman was one I recall watching – another excellent reds midfielder, circa Treble 2001 season.
We wanted a win. Desperate for it as Mo again had a thunderous shot saved by Pickford who was Everton’s man of the moment. However, with about 80 minutes on the clock, at a silent Goodison, Mo hit the sweetest of first – time shots, into the bottom right – hand corner of Pickford’s net that signaled his 100th Liverpool goal. It should have been the winner – chicken dinner.
The reds had further attempts to seal the deal, but Pickford got in the way. Then the blues went up field, crossed from our right and then Calvin-Lewin, headed into the bottom right-hand corner of Adrian’s goal to make it 2-2. Sickening. For all our attacking play, we could not slam the door shut tightly at the back. It is going to come back on the bum and bite us. Mark my words.
Liverpool though gained a smidge of an advantage as Richarlison, went in on Thiago and nearly broke his leg in a robust, typical vicious Derby challenge which has been seen many times over the years in these fiercely competitive encounters where no love is lost between the Stanley Park neighbours. The Brazilian got a red card as Jota had come on for Bobby Firmino with Klopp intent on winning the game.
Thiago played a bind, almost no look pass inside the right of the Blues area and Mane was onto it in a flash and on the same wavelength was Henderson, who deftly stroked the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of Pickford’s net to make it 3-2. I jumped off the sofa and celebrated with all my heart – just knowing it was the winner and that it had been a well – crafted goal. All three of us thought it – convinced it was, so much so that I pleaded with the reds to just hold it for the next vital few seconds. However, within moments I was throwing my glasses onto the floor in shock, as I took in the fact that VAR had mysteriously ruled the goal out for ‘Offside’….I could not believe it. No wonder I said that I will never celebrate a goal again. Not for at least two minutes. VAR has killed the game when it should have improved it.
However, much we can go on about it – the result of the game is not going to change now. There was still the rest of the weekend to have to chill in. Just like us, Liverpool had to take their medicine and move on – at a safe distance in these times when the country is probably going to go into ‘Lockdown’ again, unless VAR intervenes that is.
19/10/20
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