Dan Rimmer's Reds Blog

Post #12 - Barclays Premier League Preview - Cardiff City v Liverpool

I suspect that we are all still recovering after an unforgettable afternoon at Old Trafford on Sunday, and in the blink of an eye, Liverpool have another challenge waiting for them in South Wales when they take on Cardiff City.

The loud and proud Cardiff fans
 at Anfield back in December. © 2013 Dan Rimmer

I attended the reverse fixture between the two sides at Anfield back in December and I gained my own first hand experience of the Reds beginning to look like a real threat as they went to the top of the table in that lunchtime Kick Off. In fact, Liverpool are only one place below what they were in that encounter just before Christmas and that gives me great belief because we have managed to maintain a good position in the League since that day. 

But first to the home side in this fixture, and I think it is quite debatable whether or not Cardiff are a different team, better off or more worse off, since they lost to Liverpool. They sit second from bottom while the visitors sit second from top, and have looked deflated for the most part under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They will take great confidence from their last home win against Fulham and their first home win of the season against the Reds' title rivals Manchester City, although that day they were under the reign of Malky Mackay. It still proves that they can compete against teams bigger than themselves, having also gained a point from Manchester United and three points from their local rivals Swansea City, all too at the Cardiff City Stadium. I hate their owner Vincent Tan with all that is in my body and have a huge lack of respect for him because of his general arrogance as well as his decision to remove one of the most respected top-flight managers in recent times in Mackay as his team's man in charge. I and all other Liverpool fans respected the Cardiff fans at Anfield for their support of the Scotsman, as all you could hear coming from the away end on that day was "Don't sack Mackay".

The new signings that he brought in back in January are still questioned by many as to whether they are good signings, but having said all of this about the Malaysian owner, it is still his money. With the former Man United man at the helm, do Cardiff pose a threat? Of course they do, but the Norwegian has a significant lack of experience in Premier League management compared to Brendan Rodgers, who's tactical prowess has impressed many this season.

Liverpool are bidding for a magnificent sixth consecutive win in the Barclays Premier League, after recently, and quite literally, demolishing both Southampton and United. The Northern Irish boss in his Thursday Press Conference at Melwood, brought up how even more impressive it was of his side to not concede a single goal in two of the most difficult away games and therefore keeping two consecutive clean sheets. 

"We've done really well on difficult grounds. At Old Trafford, Manchester United had just one shot on target, which I think is their lowest in five seasons."

 It baffles me how some football fans are only just realising that Liverpool are genuine contenders for the title considering the quality of the players in the squad. When you have the quality of players like Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in the side, surely you always have a chance of winning anything.

I'm hoping that all in football now think that Jordan Henderson is a wonderful player and can achieve great things in the future. He works hard for the team and surely his England call up wasn't just for nothing and should prove his doubters wrong. The banner that the travelling Kopites held up in the away end on Sunday, saying "Make Us Dream" certainly reminded me of the same words held up in the Kop against Juventus at Anfield in 2005. I think the glory days are certainly on the horizon and as fans, surely we have to dream that our team can achieve success in any competition we play in. Even though it is so cliche, because of how tight it is at the top, you really do have to "take each game as it comes". As fans, all we can do is get behind the team as we have done all season and hope that the great run continues. It may seem that I haven't written as much on Liverpool as I have on Cardiff City, but it's because I've simply run out of words to describe them at the moment.

The Reds are the only unbeaten team in 2014, as Chelsea lost to Aston Villa on Saturday. Will they continue the great run and pull one off against Cardiff City? Find out on Saturday as Liverpool take on the South Wales side in the 3pm Kick Off at the Cardiff City Stadium.