Greetings to all! I’m the new kid in town, taking the reins of the Liverpool FC blog from the great ed. Unfortunately, I’m not a native of Liverpool. I’m a "Yank" from Texas. For any readers over seas, this means I drive a big Dodge Ram and own a gun. However, I also enjoy the finer things in life such as Earl Grey tea and watching that over stepping, eyebrow waxing, diving United midfielder being sent off.
Enough about me, let’s get to the match on Monday.
Villa Prediction
Fresh off the heels of the Luton Town Massacre, the Reds will face Aston Villa this coming Monday at Anfield. This match is of extreme importance in regards to table position and the Villa are sure to be worthy opponents.
No more than a sneeze separates Aston Villa with Liverpool on the Premier League table. They are equal in points with Villa only being two goals behind. Manchester City and Everton share the same points, so based on their performance this weekend, it’s possible that a loss to Aston Villa would see Liverpool drop down to 7th position. Such a slip on the table could prove devastating to morale.
I truly hope that the boys will not show up over confident after pummeling a League One team who is in the relegation zone. Aston Villa has won three of their last four games, defeating opponents such as Reading and Tottenham. Liverpool’s last four should have been easy wins, but they ended up drawing in three of them. Benitez has said that his newest acquisition, Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel, could be an option.
I see this match as a turning point for either the better or worse. A win against Villa will revive spirits and help prepare the team for important contests to come and there are some extremely important ones right around the corner. Inter Milan is looming on the horizon. How can we possibly defeat Italy’s top team to continue in the Champion’s League if we cannot get around Aston Villa?
The cynic in me is forced to ask that question. I hope the players ponder it as well. The solution is to train hard and to block out the circus that has developed around this club regarding owners and managers. We’re not tuning in Monday to watch news about whether the American owners will be able to refinance or what Rafa’s chances are this week of getting the sack. We’re tuning in to watch the Reds send Aston Villa home in tears.
So what’s the score? The Crystal Football says, "Reds 2 – Villa 1."