Not long back from Villa Park for the opening game of the 2007/08 Premiership Season. Well that's not strictly true. We got a "flyer" and were home 90 mins after the end of the game courtesy of the M6 and a quick coffee at Stafford services which due to the card machine not working was "gratis". Today was one of them days where one felt they could do no wrong and to be welcomed home with a bunch of Red Roses by the wife after spending half of the hottest day of the year at the football it's no wonder I'm feeling invincible !
Yet I digress. Off we dutifully travelled to Villa Park to watch the Reds parade their obvious talent but it was with a little foreboding on account of failing to win an opening day fixture under Rafa. Mark and I always predict the score and I went for a Liverpool 2-1 win. Told you I am on a roll today ! Maybe my "luck" is changing and for once I won't be the bloke who falls into a barrel of breas.ts and comes up sucking his thumb !
There is something quite unique about the opening day of the season. Maybe it's the fact that in a league where the disparity between clubs in terms of financial muscle is wider than it has ever been this is the only time of the season where all clubs are equal and with 3 of the "Big 4" playing tomorrow it's a chance for the "also rans" to shine albeit for a day before SKY parade the big guns for the privileged few who subscribe. I say also rans because only 5 teams have ever won the Premiership since it's inception in 1993 and only 1 team other than the Big 4 have won the FA Cup in the last 15 years !
Villa started reasonably well but Liverpool's obvious superiority soon started to show. When a team leaves Crouch (Valued at £25 Million), Mascherano (Value circa £20 Million) and Benayoun ( £5 Million) not just out of the starting line up but completely out of the side and at home in the garden no doubt enjoying the weather, it's easy to see where the difference between the two teams lie.
Villa are a strange club with some fickle fans and if evidence was required then look no further than the half time entertainment which consisted of local "legend" Ian Taylor being paraded before the faithful. The reception was so muted that the PA announcer started to pump simulated crowd noise through the speakers to generate an atmosphere ! Maybe the crowd were withdrawn due to already being 0-1 down to an O.G. or perhaps it was the fact that their capacity has been reduced considerably by "re-designing" the stadium which is code for ripping out standard seats and putting in more executive boxes ! Their capacity has gone down from 48,000 + to a rather sad 42,000 on account of this but don't worry Villa, theres more revenue from "suits" over normal supporters !
Anyway I digress yet again. Back to the affairs of the heart and the game. Liverpool come out second half and proceed to do what we do best, namely produce and squander chance after chance to score a second goal and seal the game. To be fair their Keeper's having a blinder (don't they always when they play us) and is keeping Villa in it single-handedly until Carragher finds a bobble on a pitch you could putt a golf ball on ! Penalty ! Barry does what Chelsea players can't and actually scores a penalty to level the game and leave 5,000 Reds fans shaking their heads ! Here we go again I think, dominating an away fixture only to drop pts. The game restarts and Gerrard runs into Petrov and wins a what has come to be known as a "Dodgy" free kick. Stevie lines himself up and hits a blinder and peels away in delight.
WHY oh WHY do I doubt thee Steven !
how very sad. On the box you could hear our lads singing away as clear as a bell.
