Two Lads Talk Liverpool is a weekly post in which Tom Bogert and Luke Chandley enjoy a free-flowing conversation on the week that was for Liverpool Football Club. Debating the issues that matter and the ones that don’t, the aim here is to inform and entertain, one tangent at a time.
Tom: Great win! Three points down, 111 to go for the perfect season. Coutinho 1-0 Stoke City on a hot, sunny Sunday at the Britannia.
Luke: What a great goal to cap off a boring afternoon. And you know what? I’d take a boring game if it means we keep a clean sheet and get a win in the first game.
Tom: Want to know the route my eyes had to endure from kick-off until they could consistently gaze upon the match?
Luke: Hit me.
Tom: So, I’m currently moving into an apartment by university and we haven’t got cable nor WiFi yet. We’ve been stealing WiFi from an Xfinity hotspot downstairs and I had the pleasure of watching all the matches this weekend on my computer at the discretion of that WiFi.
Well, about 15 minutes before kick-off it decided it didn’t want to co-operate any longer. It grappled with the possibility of working and I caught about five fuzzy minutes of the opening 15. I got in my car, drove to University to use their WiFi. Caught another five fuzzy minutes of the next 15, this wasn’t working either.
Fuming. I pull out, drive down the road frantically looking for an establishment with a television on the payroll that’s also open at 11:30am on the east coast of America. Found an Applebee’s, got the homeboy server to hook me up with a seat in front of a tele and he flipped the match on for me in the 39th minute. Legend.
Luke: That is some absolute dedication. Well played. Well, as a contrast I was sat in front of the TV from 11.30am waiting for the match. It’s a hard-knock life for some.
Tom: Haha. Not how I envisioned opening day going for me. Still in pre-season form with that showing.
Anyway, enough of my shambolic opening day performance.
Let’s reflect on the match.
Luke: That match eh. I actually feel like it wasn’t as bad as others thought. I was happy with the performance in a roundabout way. It was half-tidy, there was positive points, such as Clyne and Ibe’s partnership, coupled with Lovren and Skrtel’s and Henderson and Milner’s post-Lallana substitution. Yeah, it wasn’t glamorous, but when is the first game ever that?
Tom: We all can’t perform as sound as West Ham did in the early kick-off today. Hope Lovren’s form continues, is it too early to say we called it? Or in doing so would incite calamity for the Croat against Bournemouth next week?
Luke: I think it’s probably too early yet, haha.
But he’s given stick easily enough so why not allow him praise. He came and won countless headers. There was one moment in the first half when he got caught out running for a stray ball, but that just shows how he wants to amend last year, he wants to take control of every defensive play, but with confidence.
I feel last year he wanted this, but he has no confidence whatsoever. He was mis-kicking, moving out of position too much, but today was a brilliant performance. I think it helps the central defenders, knowing they have strong, solid defenders on each flank. That must do wonders.
Tom: Great point, agreed. Dawn of a new day for Lovren. I think Christian Benteke did alright on his debut, but throughout most of the second half, there was well too much hoofing. Trying too hard to accommodate the big man. Yes, he’s great in the air. But he’s also good on the floor. You know who’s great on the floor? Coutinho, Firmino, Henderson, Milner, Can, Ibe and Lallana.
They wasted too many attacks with poor, hapless crosses trying to feed Benteke. When Liverpool showed a bit more patience in the final third, the build-up was wonderful when they wanted it to be.
Luke: Yeah! The build-up at times when we were trying for a goal was actually decent. Ibe’s decision making isn’t great, but he’s still incredibly young and I don’t hold that against him in the slightest.
As for Coutinho, I don’t know where to start. That celebration after the goal, with the other lads – I hope this is the beginning of a dead good season. I want some goals, some excitement and some roaring passion. A la Coutinho’s celebration.
Tom: I loved it because I was doing the same damn thing as he was. Fist pump and screaming. Very relatable. Unlike Sturridge’s wriggly arms celly. Not very relatable for someone such as myself, though I love it and love doing it when no one’s watching.
Luke: You mean you haven’t always done that wriggly arm dance, even before Sturridge?
Awkward.
Tom: Hahaha!
Luke: But yeah, I was doing the same thing too, I just couldn’t believe it went in. It always seems so unlikely, a last few-minute screamer. But with magic like that I suppose it’s not supposed to happen every game.
Tom: Incredible, man. What’d you make of Bobby Firmino’s first few minutes?
Luke: That debut. I dunno, personally, I kind of buzzed from it. But I think it was because as soon as he was introduced he injected a certain energy to play. He also happened to dink the ball over the head of about four players during his time on the field. Which I’m all over.
I think he’ll be a special talent. He seems to have a tenacity about him and a willingness to do the ugly things as well as the pretty stuff, which is dissimilar to how we bought Coutinho. But now look at him. So we should be excited.
Tom: Yes. He’s definitely leading the league in “kick-ups-over-opponents” thus far. I think he was suave and relaxed, just a little too relaxed on the ball on a few occasions. It’s obvious to see he just oozes quality though. I’m very excited. I was watching Bournemouth on Saturday, and their defensive mids seemed hopeless. Would love to see Coutinho and Firmino from the start against them next week.
Luke: Yeah, I would love to see him playing from the start of that game. Mainly because I’m going to it, but also because I think setting him loose on a smaller team could do the team the world of good. Just let him run the show with little Phil, see what they can come up with.
Tom: It’s a great feeling to already be looking so forward to next match. Wasn’t the case most of last year. Where’re your seats for the home opener?
Luke: I’m in the Kop, and you’re right. I can’t wait. I truly believe if we go to Arsenal away this early in the season with confidence we could get a draw, or even a win.
Milner’s experience will be vital. But yeah, not getting too far ahead, we need a win v Bournemouth, but it would be great to try and get out on the Anfield pitch and put together some great attacking moves and score some goals. A clean sheet is vital, though.
Tom: I hate to label games as must wins ever, let alone so early in the season, but anything less than three points is beyond unacceptable.
Luke: You’re right, Tom. But we need to make good habits, and winning is the most addictive habit you can have. It’s not dissimilar to when you smash out a brilliant article (TLTL 1,2,3,4 anyone?) – you just want to get right back on it and smash another one out (that’s what he said) – but yeah, confidence and excitement will help the players get wins from one game to the next.
Tom: Drop the mic. Shut it down. Game over. You’ve won it in Coutinho-esque fashion. We’ll run it back after Bournemouth.
