If I’d left the match on seventy five minutes (such thoughts can cross your mind when we’re two nil down and you know you’ve got to pelt it back to have a night out) I’d have said that we were poor at Anfield. It pissed me off when people were praising our performances at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge when in reality we created no chances, and today wasn’t much different for a while.

But we stayed ‘cos our half of the Anfield Road End was good crack, and Sunderland ended up producing a belting last twenty minutes which reshaped my view of the performance. Without wanting to sound like one of those tedious conspiracy theorists who plagues football phone-ins, it looked as if we should have had two penalties and, had we got one, who knows? We clapped the Lads off whilst booing Rob Styles and both thoroughly deserved it.

Whilst most of our support was fretting about Keiron’s hamstring early in the game I was on a windswept Anfield Road fretting about getting in to the match. I’d totally ballsed up on the ticket front and if it wasn’t for a diamond of a steward sorting me out at 5.17 p.m I would have been watching it in the Arkles. After giving said fella a massive slap on the back I bounded in looking for my mates, only to be met with the sight of Richardson hobbling around the touchline. Shit.

It’s easy to be wise after the event but I wish he’d been saved for Wigan. I’m told that ALS got a couple of angry emails for suggesting as much yesterday but it looks now as if caution should have been the order of the day. Whilst you don’t want to be as defeatist as Bryan Robson, who famously played reserve sides when taking West Brom to ‘Big Four’ grounds, every priority should be made to ensure that we can field our best eleven for crucial games like Wigan, who we play next week. I just hope that if Richardson doesn’t make next Saturday his replacement, Prica, makes a better fist of it than he did at Anfield. It’s not very often that a sub gets subbed but the new boy looks off the pace, goal or not against Birmingham.

If we do go down, which I don’t think we will at the moment, I hope I get another chance to go to Anfield. Their tourist support may sit on their hands when the likes of us come to town but as a sporting arena it’s fantastic, heart and soul all over the shop. If only every ground had four proper stands and was stuck bang in the middle of a load of pubs and shops. Also, I’ve been plenty of times but I’d never stood and watched the way they treat the Hillsborough memorial until today. When you see grown blokes kissing, patting or rubbing their fingers along one of the 96 names etched into the marble it’s pretty powerful stuff. Here’s to Justice, lads.

Their fans may have staged an admittedly impressive post match demo but it was our 3,000 that were on form during the game. 5.15 kick offs are probably satellite TV’s only decent contribution to our sport and the extra time in the alehouse certainly got our section’s vocals going. I just hope they don’t carry out their warning and dock our tickets next time because Scouse aways are great in an era when you make that statement with less and less frequency.

Final Score: 0-3

Man of the Match: Liam Miller (just pipping Bardsley and Gordon)

NCB

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