Remember saying in the summer that I thought we had a better squad than them. It wasn't out of bravado, and I didn't think it was just silly bias. They could still finish above us. They've got muscle memory when it comes to winning games. They could again win the league soon enough, because they're bankrolled and can buy great players. But right now, I think we've got a better squad than them. When I look at their squad I see too few top players who are coming in to their peak years. I see plenty of top players who are coming off those years, and enough youngsters (with big enough fees) to make you think "Yeah, they should end up good", but right now, when you look at their good players who can contribute from the off and are going to get better, it's all too few. Mata, Luiz, Ramires, possibly Sturridge. They've got their Lukaku's, Romeu's and whoever else, but they're teenagers. Pretty much everyone else is on the way down, or like Kalou and Mikel, there have to be reservations over whether they're good enough.
I compare that to our side, and I see the players we have aged between 24-28, and it amazes me how we've strengthened this squad in two transfer windows. Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Lucas, Adam, Downing, Suarez - All in that 24-28 range. Then below that, we've got Carroll, Henderson, Spearing, Coates, Kelly - all a little younger, in the sort of range where they have Sturridge. We've got kids as well. Quality teenagers, who you don't want to place too much pressure on, but we've already seen Shelvey, Flanagan and Robinson and they're good. Oh, and we've got our share of quality older players too, players we probably can't rely on for too much longer but aren't actually being forced to, unlike Chelsea.
In terms of the actual game, I just love the fact that we're an assured passing team. Its the most attractive football I can remember us playing in years. It's not the most effective, but the insistance on passing and moving, from front to back, it's just good to watch. It's just great seeing someone like Enrique at leftback, regardless of who the opposition are, being unafraid to take the ball under pressure. It's not misplaced confidence either. He backs his ability to get out of those situations. So does Lucas, so did Coates yesterday just like Agger a week last Sunday. It spreads as well. Martin Kelly has no trouble receiving the ball under pressure, Jordan Henderson is going looking for it more and more, even Andy Carroll yesterday was taking the ball under pressure and making sure it got to a red shirt. There was one move that involved him doing that which, had we been blessed with the Maxi Rodriguez of 3-4 years ago, before the ACL, quite possibly would've ended up in a goal. I actually thought Carroll had a decent game, and would've garnered plenty of praise had he put that penalty away. I suppose the concern, more than the missed penalty, was that he didn't really get a chance beyond that. Still, despite all the loose touches, he was a good foil, and especially 2nd half was involved in plenty of good goals and lay-offs. He certainly helped get the midfield closer to him during the middle period of the 2nd half when we were at our most dominant.
I think the most pleasing thing about that game, and the last 3 actually though, is that there's more than a confidence developing. There's an assurance beginning to develop about the team, the squad, the club. Confidence will come and go, but having that will to do the right things, to take the risk because you know others will do the same and back you up, that's going to stand us in really good stead.
