Milner’s influence on Reds remains as engine starts to fail
Wind back almost 12 months to the day and there are signs that the Liverpool empire has over-reached itself. Jurgen Klopp’s men sit 22 points clear at the top of the table. However, the last few weeks have been spent firefighting large pockets of resistance. Having been soundly beaten by Atletico in the first leg of the Champions League last 16, the Reds have suffered their first slaughter in the league with a 3-0 thrashing at Vicarage Road. They manage to negotiate a five-goal skirmish against West Ham thanks to Lukasz Fabianski. The aura of invincibility is being chipped away. Strong leadership is required.
In the absence of an injured Jordan Henderson, James Milner is captain of the ship at Anfield against a Bournemouth side desperate for points. There is a palpable air of tension in the ground. Yet Milner’s rallying call to his troops in the warm-up is obvious and reassuring to all. “Everything we do, highest tempo today. It doesn’t matter who scores. They score – we score. We lift it again.”
James Milner pre-match speech Vs Bournemouth. pic.twitter.com/Q7mT0EuHJZ
— LFC Round Up (@LFCroundup) March 7, 2020
It’s not Steven Gerrard’s ‘This does not f***ing slip’ moment but then everything the ageless midfielder does is blunt but sharp. Like one of those gritty Northern detectives with a twinkle in their eye.
When the Cherries go ahead in the game, the skipper and the team gets to work on that plan. After the Reds ‘take back control’ with goals from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, Ryan Fraser spots Adrian off his line and chips him with the precision of a nine iron tight to the pin. As the ball drops out of the sky ready to nestle, Liverpool’s number 7 tracks back with rocket-boosted zeal to intercept. He ends up in the net himself but this isn’t about looking good. Virgil Van Dijk simply claps in low-key appreciation. ‘I do, you follow’ is the message. Liverpool win, go 25 points clear and then the world changes…
The last year has aged everyone. Ever since the club’s move into its state of the art complex at Kirkby was unveiled, the problems have piled up. A bit like Rory McIlroy’s change of clubs, new beginnings don’t always begin smoothly.
Much of the injury-cursed Anfield hurt parade has forced the 35-year-old into more appearances than would be normal or healthy. Milner has appeared in 19 of Liverpool’s 28 league matches so far, including eight times from the start which is just one less than last season’s glorious title win. Ever since January 2020, ‘Mr Consistent’ has consistently started picking up knocks from hip to hamstring, to thigh, and back to hamstring. Father Time is tapping his body clock.
Everybody loves… James Milner – jack of no trades and a master of about five
Since coming back from his latest injury, Milner has not quite looked capable of those lung-busting fitness levels we were used to seeing both on the pitch and in social media lockdown last year. In the latest defeat to a breezily-confident Fulham on Sunday, Milner was late into tackles. He looked off the pace. Worryingly, he fouled more than Thiago does. For once, those fuel cells looked like they were almost on empty.
Reds fans almost wet themselves on Wednesday after seeing a glorious vision of Fabinho and Thiago in Budapest. Maybe it was a mirage. The future has shown itself. Liverpool’s utility man only came on to steer the ship a few hundred yards to port. It might be the start of the wind down.
In a team that has lost its key components at the back, and its two main voices in Henderson and Van Dijk, Liverpool have increasingly resembled the softest of touches. Milner is the next natural leader in the pack, a man that would front up and crash into a right-hander from Conor McGregor and still get up for more. He’s been in the Premier League fight game for almost two decades. No submission is forthcoming. Even when he is wiped out by Theo Walcott. Time will have the final say, though.
Just as Adam Lallana earned a garlanded exit for his example to youngsters like the next breed of Curtis Jones et al on the training pitch, so Milner is guaranteed a send-off next summer when his contract runs out. There may be even some tears in front of a packed Kop as there were at the end of that perfect night against Barcelona. In the meantime, ‘Milly’ will do everything he can to ensure that Liverpool want it more even when they are on the floor. He will keep grinding.
