Poacher

By AM Monday, March 7, 2011

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It is always great to put politics to the side and get down to some serious business – soccer. Bill Shankly the legendary manager of Liverpool knew what he was talking about when he said soccer is not a matter of life or death, it is much more serious than that. Overdosed on the elections for the Dail and having suffered serious bouts of ennui listening to the empty promises of every bollix seeking our votes, a real competition is a great way to lance the boil of boredom. Shankly himself would have been proud of the Liverpool side that took Manchester United apart yesterday and in the process hauled itself up to sixth place in the Premiership.

It is not yet resolved in my mind if the 3-1 victory at Anfield is the sign of a resurgent Liverpool or a faltering United. A draw against Wigan and a defeat at the feet of West Ham cast doubts on any Liverpool resurgence. United having lost at Chelsea may indeed be faltering. That said, the safe money must still be on Manchester for the title but it no longer looks as certain as it did a month ago. Makes for a much more interesting run in when it is not a one horse race.

Frequently a friend in Belfast will text me to hoot and toot about Liverpool mishaps and United successes. Since yesterday’s game a strange silence has descended upon him. He is in a state of incommunicado. Perhaps he is sick with a touch of defeatitis. Ironic that for a red he appears to be suffering the blues. So it would be unkind to wind him up about it.

Feeling absolutely knackered yesterday, when I returned to the house after walking the dog on the beach, I was too tired to go anywhere to watch the game. Instead I followed it in fits and starts through Sky Sports, keeping my ten year old daughter up to speed as the reports came through. Not viewing the game took nothing away from the sweet taste of victory. What soured things was the Jamie Carragher lunge on Nani for which he should have taken a red card. It was the type of disregard for an opponent Roy Keane or Graeme Souness would have been proud of. A dirty player by no means, the type of wild tackle Carragher lunged into can have no place on the soccer pitch. A mere yellow card does little to dissuade those who lash out first and think later.

‘Dangerous Dirk’ came into his own on the day. Liverpool greats like Rush, Owen and Torres have failed to hit a hat trick against United. Kuyt did it with consummate ease. He was the poacher par excellence. Poachers never get brilliant goals but they can be brilliant poachers if they find the back of the net frequently enough. Their brilliance lies in their ability to be in the right place at the right time to make the tap in. Kuyt had the predatory instinct and the killer touch. The Flailing Dutchman in United’s goal was no match for his flying compatriot.

Pity Carragher flew off the handle.