Back then, between 2005-2009 when I hear Liverpool fc what comes to my mind straight away is a determined and resilient team, a team that is always inclined to win. I'm sure your mind had gone straight to the "miracle at Istabul" depicting the remarkable champions league final against AC Milan ten years ago when Liverpool came from behind to lift the Champions league trophy for the fifth time in their history granting them the opportunity to keep the trophy permanently. What made that victory a remarkable one was the six minute dramatic come-back from 3 goals to nothing to 3-3, which later ended in a penalty shoot-out that saw Shevchenko of AC Milan losing his penalty to Dudek ensuring Liverpool lift the trophy for the fifth time.
After that season, I still saw a Liverpool side that play direct football with great zeal and intensity and with quality players having tactical brilliance. Infact, up till now Liverpool hasn't seen better replacement for some of this players. It's rare to see a team in which almost all the players have very powerful shots with great accuracy. That apart, I will try to analyse what I so much like in some of this players and the list of my favourite first eleven.
When we talk of Liverpool players then, we start with a legend and skipper Steven Gerrard, he played 17 seasons for Liverpool, what I cherished most in Gerrard is his ability to win ball and his long strike accuracy with both feet. When a corner kick is played by liverpool and a re-bounce is coming from Gerrard you have to get ready for a 'screamer' as his shots were famously regarded by football commentators. Alongside Gerrard, sitting deep in the heart of defensive midfield is Alonso, a player whose transfer to Madrid commenced the woe of Liverpool. The spanish has great tackles with very keen eyes for tricky passes. To spice it up, he has the ability to play powerful long range strikes just like Gerrard. Can you recollect the threat they pose? Another player I so much like is Dirk Kuyt, all I could remember of him is his ability to stay put in the opponent box even when he is a supporting sriker, he is a very good scorer with intense ability to score in big games. What of Riise? Before I talk on Risse, Kuyt made me remember Benayoun. Benayoun is also a player you will always find in the opponent's half just like Dirk, he has very good short passes that awarded him a good number of assists, you should remember the great partnership he had with Fernando Torres, a partnership that made Chelsea sign him to complement Torres, just that injury had been Benayoun's worst nightmare. Now Riise, a player whose shot was believed to have broken Alan Smith's leg when Liverpool won Manchester united in the FA cup in 2006 at Anfield. I like him better in his left-back position and when he takes freekick, his shot power is massive. You remember Pennant the winger with great skill and super cross? He is always looking for Peter Crouch. Time will not allow me to analyse Jamie Carragher the defensive rock, Ryan Babel, Martin Skrtel, Mascherano, Aurelio and the great Jay Spearing.
My Liverpool favourite eleven then was, Dudek, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa, Riise, Alonso, Gerrard, Pennant, Spearing, kuyt and Torres. That's the Liverpol team I love to watch. It will take time and hard work for Liverpool to build such a technical team as this. Klopp is just trying now to inculcate that known Liverpool spirit in his present squad.
Feel free to share your own Liverpool moment with us, those player you fancy then at Liverpool and why you like them.
35
36
37
38
