I don't have much to offer about the Reading match. I was recovering from a nasty illness, and it was what it was – a necessary, sufficient performance against an inferior opponent. Besides, Liverpool plays Arsenal on Sunday and it's the start of what is, essentially, the second stage of the season.
Arsenal and I have some local troubles, mostly because of this place, the only real place to watch football in Milwaukee. If you haven't clicked the link yet, this place is called The Highbury and the naming was intentional. There's a freakin' Thierry Henry painting on the wall! I mean, c'mon!
Anyway, Liverpool and I have had some great times in "The Highbury." Istanbul. Cardiff. And, perhaps the most twisted, the 5th round FA Cup tie last season home to Man U that was shown on a four-hour delay – thanks Setanta – so our solution was to show up at 7 a.m. and require everyone in the pub to put their cell phone into a box kept behind the bar. As people entered throughout the morning, they were warned, without subtlety, to shut up or face a serious beating for spilling the beans.
Anyway, this is my "local" so to speak, and in this unlikely outpost for football nuts, Liverpool at Arsenal on Sunday will be intense. This week, this space is all about getting the Arsenal demons out. There should be some interesting foolishness to consider.