Joe Cole's through ball passed directly between three Southampton defenders!
Holmes, who retreated, raised his legs to the extreme to intercept, almost doing the splits.
His defensive awareness is very good, but unfortunately his legs are too short and his toes are stretched to the limit. He is still a few centimeters away from Joe Cole's through ball!
The viper Yovanovic at the far end of the penalty area immediately started sprinting when Joe Cole took the shot!
High school guard Jaidi, who was responsible for defending him, also started immediately!
Jaidi's turning speed was like a snail in front of Jovanovic!
Jovanovic almost instantly got rid of Jaidi, who was slow to catch up, and touched the ball first——
At the moment when Jaidi was out of position, goalkeeper Davis directly chose to attack Jovanovic head-on!
This is also a helpless move. Only by suppressing Jovanovic's forward speed and waiting for Jaidi to catch up and entangle Jovanovic can we have a chance to save the goal.
Jovanovic didn't slow down and change lanes, and just fired a crisp and fast diagonal shot!
This shot was too sudden and the ball was too fast!
Davis was caught off guard!
The football hangs directly into the upper left corner of the goal...
The ball went in!
"yeah!!!!"
"Allez Allez Allez~"
The Liverpool fans at the scene cheered wildly!
7 minutes into the game!
The Liverpool team, playing at home, after stealing the ball in the frontcourt, played a set of perfectly coordinated offensive combinations. It only used a simple three-foot pass to tear apart Southampton's defense and blast away. Southampton's Gate!
The score on the big screen immediately changed to Liverpool 1:0 Southampton.
Anfield Stadium has become a sea of joy!
The fans in the KOP stands were singing and dancing happily!
This goal is undoubtedly a very exciting start for all Liverpool fans!
After scoring, Jovanovic happily ran under the KOP stands and raised his arms to accept the cheers of the fans.
Players such as Joe Cole and Maxi Rodriguez also ran over and rubbed Jovanovic's head in celebration.
The whole Anfield stadium is shaking!
The red celebration scene is so crazy!
As for the Southampton team, everyone was silent.
Davis shook his head and stood up from the turf. He knew that Liverpool would definitely score, but he didn't expect it to come so quickly.
Hammond, who was primarily responsible for the goal, covered his face and did not dare to communicate with his teammates.
If he hadn't been intercepted by Maxi and counterattacked, why would Southampton be so passive?
Coach Adkins turned away angrily, not wanting to look at these dejected players.
From offense to defense, Southampton is really terrible.
After all, Southampton used to be a strong team in the Premier League, and it was always worthwhile to play against a strong team. However, it has only been three years since they were relegated, and they have become like this.
This is not only a gap in personal strength, but also the overall cooperation seems to have no soul and cannot be made into a whole.
At this time, someone has to step up and integrate the offensive and defensive ends...
"Coach...please take my place!"
With a passionate and passionate shout, Chamberlain stood up on the bench of the Southampton team and volunteered: "I will definitely turn the tide!"
Gu Ran:...Second piece of shit!
Coach Adkins glanced at Chamberlain, frowned and ignored him.
Chamberlain could only sit down angrily.
In fact, it is taboo for players to volunteer on the bench.
Most managers don't like players who ask to come on the bench because it makes the manager appear to have no control.
The 17-year-old Chamberlain is indeed Southampton's first youngster.
The game continues on the field.
Southampton, which conceded 1 goal in the opening game, continued to strengthen its defense under the on-the-spot command of coach Adkins.
Liverpool, on the other hand, went on the offensive like a wave, playing beautiful coordinated attacks one after another.
14th minute of the first half.
Liverpool's left back Koncheski dribbled the ball along the left wing, and Schneiderlin and Pulis jointly defended Koncheski.
Konchesky passed the ball to Spearing, who came to meet him, and Spearing moved forward through the midfield.
The Southampton team immediately retreated to defend under the on-the-spot command of coach Adkins, and even Lallana retreated to help defend.
This style of play is very conservative and ugly.
But it did limit Liverpool's passionate offensive.
Seeing that there was no better way to break through, Spearing immediately passed a high ball into the penalty area.
Rejoice brother Ngego confidently stepped in to fight for the header.
Southampton's high school defender Jaidi jumped up to face Ngogo and took the lead to catch the high-altitude ball and head it out of the dangerous area.
The ball landed right at the feet of left midfielder Holmes!
Although Holmes is small, he is very fast on his feet!
Holmes quickly dribbled the ball to an area he was familiar with on the left wing——
Head coach Adkins, who was standing in the technical area on the sidelines, shouted excitedly: "What a great opportunity! Go to the middle to provide personal support! Counterattack quickly! Charge up! Charge up!"
The other Southampton players immediately sprinted desperately.
Lallana ran straight to the center to serve as a support point for Holmes, while Schneiderlin ran to the right to serve as a support point for Lallana. Gurley also attracted two Liverpool defenders, Kiljakos and Scooter, at the front end. Ter's attention.
Southampton's counterattack is quite impressive!
Liverpool's overall return speed was a little slower - after all, defensive counterattacks are the most difficult to prevent. Even a strong team like Liverpool would have a hard time attacking a defensive counterattack in the first place. The defense line is organized.
However, the personal ability of the Liverpool star played a key role at this time!
Joe Cole sped up and chased after Holmes from behind five meters away!
The KOP stands are completely crazy!
The frequency of Holmes's feet is not slow!
But...the legs are short and the stride is too small.
What's even more troublesome is that when Holmes confronts a star like Joe Cole, his eyes are obviously full of timidity, and he keeps looking back at Joe Cole's position.
The more he sees Joe Cole approaching, the less confident Holmes becomes to fight.
Before Joe Cole could fully catch up with him, Holmes slowed down and passed the ball across to Lallana who was supporting him in the middle!
I am not afraid of anything when it comes to defensive counterattacks. I am afraid of being intercepted in the middle and then being hit with a counterattack.
From this perspective, it is normal for Holmes to pass the ball ahead of time.
However, the quality of this pass was too poor. It was a temporary move while running, and there was no communication at all with Lallana.
Lallana originally sprinted in a straight line, but when he saw Holmes passing the ball crookedly, he quickly changed his line and chased.
Before Lallana could get into position to respond, Maxi, who had been keeping an eye on Lallana, rushed over like a raging storm and pushed Lallana away with an elbow.
Lallana was completely defeated in the physical confrontation with Maxi and fell to the ground. Maxi took the opportunity to steal the ball away——
Toot toot!
The referee blew the whistle to signal that Maxi had committed a foul.
Maxi shrugged innocently and dropped the ball.
The fans in the KOP stands booed the referee wildly.
There is no problem with the referee's penalty for this ball, but the KOPs don't care about that. In short, any penalty that is unfavorable to Liverpool is problematic.
Southampton also got a bit of breathing space.
This ball is about forty meters away from the goal. It is definitely unrealistic to hit the goal directly.
Coach Adkins shouted the third tactic, and the players on the field immediately understood it, and both wings actively pressed forward.
Lallana drove the ball to Schneiderlin on the right.
After Schneiderlin stopped the ball with his chest, he immediately took the ball into Liverpool's penalty area.
Maxi came out to defend Schneiderlin.
Southampton's right back Butterfield made a pass from behind Schneiderlin!
Schneiderlin immediately half-turned and pushed the ball to Butterfield.
Butterfield didn't pause and made a half-high pass that wasn't of very good quality!
High center forward Gurley jumped high——
However, Liverpool goalkeeper Jones got there first and lifted the ball over Gurley's head with both hands.
The Southampton fans in the north stand suddenly let out a cry.
This is a very good opportunity to equalize the score, but unfortunately...the own right back passed the ball too loosely.
With such a level of offense, let alone playing against the Premier League giants, even in the English League One, it would be difficult to score goals.
Coach Adkins in the technical area on the sidelines raised his fist and shouted: "What are you doing standing there stupidly? The ball is not dead! Get back on defense! Run!"
Before he finished speaking, Liverpool goalkeeper Jones threw the ball with great force to Rejoice Ngego who was located near the center line.
Ngego confidently passed Hammond who intercepted him at speed, and made a direct pass!
Hammond chased Ngogo in a panic!
Ngego even deliberately slowed down his speed and always maintained a distance of three or five body positions from Hammond.
This is a total humiliation!
Davis had no choice but to abandon the goal and attack, trying to intercept Ngego at the edge of the penalty area, creating an opportunity for Hammond and other defensive players who retreated to jointly defend.
However, Ngego made a confident and beautiful line change, directly shook Davis away, and blasted a push towards the empty goal——
Football shot into the net!
The KOP stands went crazy again!
This is a wonderful goal that beats the goalkeeper alone!
The score on the big screen was immediately rewritten as Liverpool 2:0 Southampton!
The first half only lasted 18 minutes, and Liverpool was leading by two goals!
After scoring the goal, Ngego shook his bald head, jumped onto the fence on the sidelines, and danced in front of the KOP fans.
The mentality of Southampton's players on the field has collapsed.
In less than 20 minutes in the first half, he was hit twice... If he continues like this, this game will probably go 6:0!
The strength gap between the two teams is really too big.
Liverpool had already beaten Southampton into such a miserable situation before they even sent out their real main force.
The Southampton team playing away from home seemed as if they had not woken up. They were not in shape at all. Their defense was not good and their offense was even worse!
No one believes that this is a team that was in the Premier League three years ago. No one even believes that this is a professional team in League One!
Southampton played so poorly!
The traditional passionate offensive strategy is lost, and the new defensive counterattack strategy is also a mess!
Coach Adkins crossed his arms over his chest, with depression written all over his face.
He even began to regret that he should not have accepted Liverpool's invitation to a friendly match.
If he loses too badly in this game, it will inevitably affect his prestige and status in the locker room, as well as his right to speak in the club.
Is it time for a replacement?
Coach Adkins couldn't help but glance at the silent bench from the corner of his eye.
Most of the players on the bench lowered their heads, unable to meet Coach Adkins' eyes.
They originally wanted to go out, but they were dealt a bad hand against the wind. Who the hell dares to go against the wind?
"Coach! It's time for me to take the field!"
Chamberlain stood up excitedly again, "Coach! Let me go up and save the whole game!"
Gu Ran:......
Damn it, Chamberlain, you idiot, no one can save you.
Coach Adkins pursed his lips slightly and said, "...Connolly, Tafazzoli, you two go warm up."
"Yes! Coach!"
Connolly put a muscle bandage on his right leg with a stable expression, while Tafazzoli was nervous all over and had a look of embarrassment on his face.
Chamberlain said eagerly: "Coach! Me, me, me! What about me?"
Coach Adkins ignored Chamberlain, and the corner of his eye passed by Gu Ran's eyes very naturally.
Gu Ran met Coach Adkins' gaze firmly.
This is a silent exchange.
This showed Coach Adkins that he was eager to play.
This kind of micro-expression of eye contact with the head coach is what the head coach appreciates.
However, Coach Adkins did not call Gu Ran's name.
Gu Ran continued to sit on the bench calmly.
Gu Ran knew in his heart that the reason why Adkins didn't let him come on as a substitute now was because he wanted to wait for the situation to stabilize before finding an opportunity to let him play.
Chamberlain was still asking Coach Adkins emotionally, "Coach! Let me play! It will be fine for me to play! Coach! Coach? Have you blocked me? Oops, I'm so anxious!"
Coach Adkins still ignored Chamberlain.
At this time, the game on the field continues.
After conceding two goals, Southampton played more conservatively and the scene became more ugly.
In the 22nd minute, a dead ball occurred on the field and Southampton began to make substitutions.
Connolly replaced forward Gurley.
Young Tafazzoli replaced right back Butterfield.
Substituting two players so early, even in a friendly match, it can indeed be seen that Coach Adkins is eager for changes.
On the other side, Hodgson was like Jiang Taigong, sitting firmly on the bench.
Deputy Carragher on the bench said with a smile: "It seems we don't need to play today."
Gerrard smiled and said: "No, you still have to play when you should. After all, you have to be worthy of the fans' tickets."
Kuyt said: "I hope they don't beat Southampton 6-0, otherwise how will we perform after coming on the field? We can't beat them 10-0 in one go, right?"
Carragher smiled and said: "Not to mention, this warm-up match arranged by the club is relaxing and can boost morale!"
Gerrard said: "Of course, we at Liverpool always pay attention to metaphysics. A good start means that we will be prosperous throughout the season!"
The players on the bench all relaxed and laughed.
This substitution of coach Adkins obviously was not recognized by Southampton fans.
Many Southampton fans stood up from their seats and shouted "Gu Ran"'s name loudly towards Adkins.
They didn't come to see Southampton being pushed to the ground and rubbed by Liverpool! They are here to see Gu Ran!
Coach Adkins was very calm and ignored the interference from Southampton fans.
As a head coach, Adkins has a rather stubborn temper. He will not let players play because of their pleas, nor will he make casual substitution decisions because of fans' heckles and threats.
After the substitution, Southampton did not improve much on the offensive end.
The midfielders and frontcourt players are still suppressed in their own half and unable to perform.
However, under the on-the-spot command of head coach Adkins, Southampton's defense showed some signs of improvement.
The Liverpool team organized several consecutive attacks and penetrations, but they were all broken by Southampton's embarrassed defense.
In the next ten minutes, Liverpool continued to attack.
After Ngego scored a goal, he also shot wildly and wasted several opportunities for no reason.
After experiencing several fatal crises, the Southampton team slowly began to stabilize its position.
Schneiderlin took the opportunity to look for an opportunity on the right.
In the 32nd minute of the first half, the opportunity came!
Schneiderlin took advantage of a loophole in Liverpool's midfield defense and made a precise pass into the penalty area!
Lallana stopped the ball with his thigh, turned around and pulled the ball with his left foot under the double-team of two Liverpool defenders, and beautifully opened a small gap.
Connery takes the edge!
Lallana immediately made a short pass——
In the presence of Gurley, Lallana was the first point of attack. When Gurley left the field and Connery came on, Lallana converted into the fulcrum of the offense and attracted firepower.
Connelly turned around skillfully to get the ball, and under the double-team of Konchesky and Kiljakos, he resisted and shot directly!
The football hit the side net hard and popped out of the end line.
Connery looked back and sighed.
Southampton fans also howled in pain.
The coordination of this ball is really good. From Schneiderlin to Lallana to Connery, every link is perfect and impeccable.
It's a pity that the last kick, under Liverpool's strong defensive pressure, was still a little bit behind.
Connolly, Lallana and Schneiderlin high-fived each other.
Southampton fans also responded with encouraging applause to this attack - what else could it be? This is already a great improvement.
And now that they have only lost two goals, there seems to be hope for Southampton.
The game continues.
Liverpool had a two-goal advantage, so they played calmly.
The Southampton players were not in a hurry to attack. Instead, they all followed the requirements of coach Adkins and formed a tight defensive network to find opportunities to attack Liverpool's defensive counterattack.
At this point in the game, the two teams were like two old men fighting each other, each guarding its own goal first.
…
(End of chapter)
