Game: Standard Liege vs Liverpool
This being our first competitive game of the season, I was not entirely surprised by the team's performance for a few reasons.
Firstly, it was an away game in Europe. It will be foolish to think we can walk all over our opponents on their own turf. Credit must be given to this Belgium outfit as they played with a lot of heart and courage. They did not seem intimidated by our reputation and could have easily gone 2-0 at half time. They were aggressive and quick. To make matters worse, we had our worst game all pre-season. We lacked ideas, lost the 2nd ball consistently and could not hold possession in order to control the game.
Secondly, it was not exactly Rafa's preferred starting XI. Babel, Mascherano and Leiva were all away in Beijing for the Olympic games. Gerard was even forced to start despite having just recovered from an injury.
Thirdly, the Keane-Torres partnership has not settled yet. To be honest, Keane looked a little out of sorts. I have been watching him closely since he started and I am a little worried. I really hope he will step up soon and the promise of this partnership being the most lethal in the BPL eventually comes true.
It is still early days. We still have Sunderland to face before the return leg. I feel the team is not at its best shape to start the season. We need everyone fit and playing well. Too early to make any judgements. We will have a better idea after 10 games. Let's hope there will only be good things to say then.....
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