Report by Dave Usher at Anfield

Entertainment is back on the menu at Anfield.

Following on from the weekend's fine display against West Brom, the reds got their Champions League campaign off to an excillerating start with a comprehensive victory over last year's beaten finalists.

It's hard to find any fault with Liverpool's display against Monaco. Every department of the side functioned superbly, and some of the football played was a joy to behold.

"As good as anything we've seen since Robbie and Macca" according to a text received from a mate at half time. I can't argue with that too much.

Fast, free flowing one touch passing, inventive play and attacking in numbers. This is what we called for, and Rafa Benitez is delivering it. Whatsmore, he's not sacrificing defensive solidity to do it.

At the back, Liverpool were water tight against Monaco, who never looked remotely like scoring all evening. In terms of an all round display, I'm struggling to remember a game in the last few years where we've played better.

Benitez made just the one change, handing Xabi Alonso his first Anfield start at the expense of the unlucky Didi Hamann, who had been outstanding against West Brom at the weekend.

But as good as Didi is, there's little doubt that Alonso/Gerrard is the best available midfield combination. We've been waiting to see them operate together since Alonso's arrival from Sociedad, and they certainly didn't disappoint did they?

This partnership looks to be very much out of the McMahon/Molby mould. Alonso is wonderful footballer. His vision, awareness and coolness on the ball certainly conjure up memories of Big Jan in his heyday.

He also has a look of Jamie Redknapp about him too, although hopefully he'll have better luck on the injury front than poor old Jamie did. This boy looks a steal, even at the £10m plus we paid for him. Every penny Benitez has spent looks to have been done very wisely so far.

It is the link up between Alonso, Gerrard and Luis Garcia which gives the most cause for optimism. The two new Spanish lads have a touch of class about them which has been lacking in almost all of the players recruited in recent seasons.

The way they've immediately hit it off with Gerrard bodes very well for the future. The speculation about Gerrard won't go away, and no doubt we'll have to live with it for the rest of the season.

But if Liverpool are doing well and look like being contenders, then I'm sure Gerrard will stay. And he may never find a more ideal partner than Alonso.

Benitez feels that Gerrard has been trying to do too much. He's told him so, and is trying to teach Stevie to change his style.

Basically, he doesn't want to see Steven Gerrard charging around the field trying to the jobs of three men, as he has often done (out of necessity it must be said). He wants him to focus more on attacking, and is giving him license to do that.

For example, against Bolton Gerrard was actually supposed to be playing just off the striker, but old habits die hard and Gerrard ended up dropping into midfield too much leaving Baros isolated. Benitez was criticised in some quarters for playing just one up front, but that wasn't the intent at all, it just ended up that way because Gerrard didn't play as far forward as he was supposed to.

Benitez recognised the wonderful attacking capabilities of Gerrard and wants to fully utilise that. Unfortunately, Gerrard has been playing the same way his whole career, and his natural instinct is too drop back and help out the defence, and try to be the playmaker. That's not a criticism of Gerrard by any means, just an observation.

But Alonso's presence means he no longer needs to do so much. Xabi's range of passing is at least the equal of the skipper's, and his intelligence is such that he can dictate how his team plays from his role at the hub of the side.

That can only benefit Gerrard, who can now concentrate on rampaging forward and getting goals. Of course, Stevie's engine is so good that he can still get back and do his defensive duties, but with Alonso in there he no longer has to keep dropping deep to collect the ball from the back four and try to make the play.

Gerrard will score at least 15 goals this season in my opinion, injury permitting of couse.

Monaco have been stripped bare of most of their assets since last season, and they posed little or no threat to the reds. But their defence is largely as it was last year, so it's heartening to see the ease which Liverpool carved them open at times.

The opening goal was simply wonderful. Gerrard and Garcia combined with quick one touch passing and sliced through the centre of the Monaco defence, before the skipper played in Cisse who gleefuly blasted home in front of the Kop.

This is going to seem pretty harsh, but when Cisse scored I wasn't thinking 'what a great finish' I was thinking more along the lines of 'lucky boy, that was hit and hope.'

He had every opportunity to just place that ball into the corner, but instead just blasted it down the middle. "It went in, who cares" I hear you cry.

My point is that it wasn't a 'composed' finish, and that style is hit and miss. "Next time he mightn't be so lucky" I thought, and so it proved.

I don't want to seem too down on Cisse, who actually had one of his best games so far. It's just that so far the only thing he has really shown is that he can run really fast. He still has an awful lot to prove, and needs a lot of work on his touch and finishing.

That said, it's early days and he has two goals already so it's not a bad start. There are a lot of things about Djibril I like, but his touch is elephant like at times, and he gets caught offside too much for someone with his pace. I'm sure these are things Rafa will work on with him though, and hopefully he'll improve in these areas as the season goes on

I still think Baros is a much more accomplished player however, and if it's a straight choice between them as to who starts I'd go with Milan. But perhaps Rafa thinks Cisse links up better with Garcia and that's why he's getting the nod at the moment.

Garcia has proved to be a massive hit with the fans already. He's the type of player the fans love to see, and he's the type of player who wouldn't have gotten within a million miles of the first team under the previous regime.

He's small, occasionally gets knocked off the ball, doesn't win anything in the air, and he will often give the ball away because he's tried something risky. Houllier would not have entertained him for a milisecond.

Benitez on the other hand encourages him to try things. Rafa's Valencia were rock solid at the back, worked hard throuhgout the side, and had Aimar.

It looks like he's trying to recreate that blueprint here, with Garcia in the Aimar role. So far it's working very nicely. Garcia is a very talented player. He has two good feet, an excellent football brain and he makes things happen.

Other players will play better when he's around, because he brings people into the game. Gerrard is no doubt enjoying playing with him, and I'm sure Cisse or Baros are both more than happy to have him as a partner. Kewell looks happier too.

Garcia didn't score against Monaco, but he should have. One brilliant first half shot sailed just wide, before he hit the outside of the post with a header after a pass from Gerrard the likes of which you won't see from anyone else this season. Truly stunning.

Garcia's best chance of all though came near the end, when the once again impressive Steve Finnan presented him with a simple chance just six yards out, but the little fella dragged his shot horribly wide.

The game should already have been out of sight by then anyway, but Cisse squandered a one on one with Roma when he blasted the ball straight at the keeper following a lovely ball from Kewell.

Baros replaced the Frenchman not long after, and he wrapped up the win with a superb solo goal. It's lucky for Milan that he found the back of the net though, because he ignored two team-mates who were well placed in the centre.

The Czech looked very lively when he came on, just as he did at the weekend in fact, and both he and Cisse will take a lot of confidence from having found the net again.

You can go through the entire side and find excellent performances. Singling anyone out is hard. Hyypia and Carragher were magnificent, and neither put a foot wrong all evening.

Josemi was mightily impressive again in his unspectacular, but highly efficient approach to the game, whilst Riise is having a very good season so far and looks like new player.

Kewell had his best game of the season by a distance, although in fairness I also thought he played pretty well against West Brom, whilst Finnan looks like he's getting to grips with his new midfield role.

Finnan has his limitations, and isn't a long term solution, but we've played much better this season when he's been in the side. He provides balance as he stays out wide, and until Nunez is fit he deserves to keep his place. Never thought I'd be saying that, but fair play to the lad for knuckling down and showing a good attitude.

Gerrard was... well Gerrard, Garcia was quality again, and Baros and Warnock also acquitted themselves very well when they came on.

It was very hard picking a star man. It could have been any of the players mentioned, but I'll go for Alonso as it was his first start at Anfield and he was absolute class. Rambo reincarnated.

Now bring on the mancs....

 

Team: Dudek; Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise; Finnan, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell (Warnock); Garcia (Biscan), Cisse (Baros):

 

Agree or disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

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