Both of the opening games followed a very similar pattern, and whilst I do of course agree with the cliche that "It doesn't matter how you win" I would say that we can learn a lot from our opening performances and the manner of victory. The best measure of progression is a comparison of performance over time, and although I'm weary of referring to corresponding fixtures last season I will say that similar games, in the Rodger's era, would have previously seen us dropping points.
When Daniel Agger was made vice-captain I started thinking about the fact he'd tattooed his knuckles with YNWA. It led me to learning a little about the etymology of the phrase "HOLD FAST" and all that symbolised and I wondered if the story could somehow be related to the actions of our new V.C.. Apparently the phrase was a way of fundamentally inspiring sailors, especially young sailors, to stick together and work together in times of war. The idea was that if your knuckles were tattooed with the message then even in times of crisis, when you'd been gripping tightly around the oars until all the blood had drained from your hands, then the idea would still be there in ink to inspire your neighbour.
I think the idea can be seen as a wonderful metaphor for pulling together and grinding out results; it's the spirit of Istanbul, of Carragher throwing himself in front of the ball when visibly crippled with cramp; it's the resolve to battle on until the bitter end, inspired by the knowledge that You'll Never Walk Alone. It might seem overly dramatic, wide-eyed or naive, but there is nothing more crucial than a sense of spirit to turn a group of talented players into a winning team.
I am of course not for a moment likening the opening games to Istanbul! But I am pleased to see that already we have demonstrated some of that "winning mentality" that was so obviously missing from many of our performances last season. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing your side play a team off the park and fail to take all three points, yet that happened to us far too often in last year's campaign. You can have the best possession stats in the league but if you don't take your chances and you concede silly goals then you will win nothing- simple as.
I believe, however, that the displays of Simon Mignolet and Daniel Sturridge serve particularly well to highlight our progression. In many ways the performances of goalkeepers for teams in the lower half of the table are often more noteworthy for they simply have more to do. But what is key for a goalkeeper in a team who often has the largest share of possession is the ability to concentrate until the death. It felt as though we were susceptible to the counter-attack last season and often our goals against would be scored entirely against the run of play. But already Mignolet has shown himself to have the ability to "HOLD FAST," both with the penalty save against Stoke and the two superb saves from Christian Benteke against Aston Villa.
Similarly - goals aside - Sturridge has put in two fantastic performances that fly in the face of many of the criticisms labeled at him in previous years. There has never seemed any question of his talent, but rather it was his attitude that appeared, from the outside, to be holding him back. Before joining Liverpool I had unfairly formed the opinion he might be a somewhat selfish player that wasn't willing to fight for the team, but his display against Villa in particular again showed a player fully committed to the cause. The message, if outlined on the pitch, was coloured in fully after the match:
"We defend as a team. If I have to be in the full-back position, so be it. It's all about winning games and we're all delighted."
It is clear we still near to infuse our game with an element of ruthlessness; we need to capitalise upon our dominance - especially in the opening forty-five minutes - and ensure a team is dead and buried before they can even think about making a comeback. But for now I want to focus upon the positives and say it seems as though, from the football we have seen thus far, the ink on the figurative YNWA tattoo is fresh.
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