1. Dejan Lovren is the new Boss. And a much needed one. He took command of the defence and dared Borussia to attempt attack. He is what we needed last season when Skrtel and Sakho doted around the field masquerading as defenders who really wanted to just score goals. That's a bit harsh, but it's nice to be reminded what a centre back who is actually committed to playing defence looks like. He reminds me of Carra except more athletic.
2. Coutinho is becoming Gerrardinho. Is it just me or were some of those passes/flicks from the Brazilian very Gerrard-esque? He's definitely been paying attention to his captain's methods of ball conveyance. How he did not get chosen for his country for the World Cup is beyond me, but I'm glad he didn't get picked. The time off probably did him some good.
3. Manquillo is probably already better than Glen Johnson. No need to beat a dead horse, but me Uncle Joe is probably better than Glen Johnson. I can't say I was impressed with Manquillo's performance even given the circumstance of just joining the club a couple of days ago, but at least he didn't turn over the ball every time he touched it.
4. We didn't need Gerrard to dictate attack. And that is huge. The less our captain has do on the attacking end of the pitch, the better we will be as a side. If Sterling, Sturridge, Hendo, and Coutinho can dissect defences without the help of Stevie-G, he can concentrate on controlling the middle-third. I don't think he'll ever be completely cut out of the picture, which nobody wants, but he's also not 26 anymore. He has plenty of long passes and through balls in store. Though the only stat that should matter to him at this point in his career is league titles. Glory over goals.
5. Aubameyang was playing? The 25-year-old Gabonese striker was invisible today at Anfield. He scored 13 goals in 26 league matches after coming over from AS Saint Etienne. In France, he was finally coming into his own, scoring 35 goals in his last two seasons there. I thought he might be a player worth looking at, before today, I'd pass. It may have been a friendly, but he was inexistent today and failed to make even the slightest impact.
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