Saturday Morning
It's been a bum week all round on the SAFC front but the fortunes of Liverpool FC haven't gone well either. Still, I fancy us to get a result this afternoon and it'll be our best chance in years to do so. I've been staying at the home of a Liverpool fan for the last two nights and he fancies us to do well too. Just to give the views of one Liverpool fan on their recent history; he's pro Benitez, very anti what he calls “The Yanks”, isn't at all chuffed about Hodgson's appointment and can't understand why they've been using players of the calibre of Ngog and Aquilani. As regards Titus-gate, I fully endorse the views of correspondent P Dunn on our letters page and am all for people being considered innocent until proven guilty. Now if we could get that applied to Sunderland fans too, then we'd really be getting somewhere. I'm living in an internet free zone here and have no idea what our line-up will be but I did hear yesterday that Titus should play and imagine that Da Silva and Bardo will also start. Match prediction: 2-2.

Afterwards
I had a most pleasant pint in Arkley's near the ground; an old fashioned pub crammed with both Sunderland and Liverpool fans and then proceeded to the Anfield Road End only to discover that no alcohol was on sale despite lager being on the tariff. My restricted view seat turned out to be not very restricted at all, the sun was shining and The Psychedelic Furs' 'Pretty in Pink' was blasting from the PA so I knew we'd do well. There were several tasty banners in the Kop including 'Yank Liars Out' and 'AGAINST MOD£RN FOOTBALL'

As we kicked off there was a roar as several beach-balls appeared in our end. Things did start badly though, and after one disallowed effort very early on Liverpool took the lead in our latest contribution to the Bizarre Conceded Goal of the Season Award. We were awarded a free-kick in our half and all seemed well with the world till Turner tapped the ball back for Mignolet to take the kick only for it to be intercepted and passed to Kuyt who slotted it in. Despite fierce protests and a consultation with a referee's assistant the goal was allowed to stand, much to our wrath. However, this only served to galvanize us and I think we had much the better of the first half. Steed started to run the show and Catts was right there with him while at the back Bramble and Turner were looking safe as houses.

There were several chants of “There's only one Titus Bramble!” during the match. In the twenty-fourth minute we got what looked to me a clear penalty when a cross was handled and Bent duly did his little shuffle and knocked it in even though Reina made contact. We were playing confidently with a nutmeg here and a back-heel from Bardo there and so we went into the break on a high, though there was still time for plenty of boos for the ref.

Three minutes after the break we were 2-1 up courtesy of a Bent header from a cross from the right and our end went doolally, though nobody around me could decide whether it was Benty or Welbeck who had scored it. Just after the hour Liverpool decided to change their surprisingly cautious 4-5-1 and brought Ngog on to go up alongside Torres and it paid dividends as they started to get into things a lot more, almost immediately equalizing when a run down the right appeared to have gone out for a throw only for a cross to be put in and Gerrard to nod it in.

Some sloppy defending there, lads, with probably Bramble the sloppiest. The remainder of the match was much more even but we had plenty of attacks and were never under the cosh for too long. Gyan came on for Welbeck with eight minutes to go and Riveros replaced the mighty Steed with a couple of minutes left. There were wails and looks of anguish all around as six minutes of stoppage-time were announced but we had been wasting time a fair bit and it doesn't usually go unnoticed. That six minutes went on for nearer ten what with injuries, though it felt like a hundred till the whistle finally went. There'd been a lot of chanting of “U.S.A!” from our end and it continued a bit as we shuffled our way downstairs.

My Liverpool mate was in high dudgeon as he kindly drove me back to Lime Street and I don't blame him but I was floating. The team fulfilled my pre-match confidence and though Liverpool are clearly not the force they were, we are showing, apart from Tuesday's shithouse performance, that we can play well against the very best. It's playing against the very worst that worries me. Anyway, deep joy and see you at the Man United match.

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