It was a Liverpool team of sorts but the pre-season friendly campaign got off to the right start with a 3-2 win over Wrexham at The Racecourse ground.
Rafa Benitez put out two different sides in both halves.
1st half team
David Martin, Steve Finnan, Gabriel Paletta, Jack Hobbs, Alvaro Arbeloa, Jermaine Pennant, Lee Peltier, Momo Sissoko, Adam Hammill, Jordy Brouer, Besian Idrizaj
2nd half team
Martin Hansen, Stephen Darby, Miki Roque, Ronald Huth, Robbie Threlfall, Nabil El Zhar, Ryan Flynn, Jay Spearing, Andras Simon, Craig Lindfield, Krisztian Nemeth
It was the first half side that did all the damage, with Besian Idrizaj scoring a hat-trick for Liverpool within 30 minutes of kick off. Jermaine Pennant was involved in all three of Liverpool’s goals with some great crosses – of all the senior players in the line up he looked the sharpest.
The second half line up was a shadow of the first half side in terms of experience and quality and the keeper Martin Hansen had to take his share of the blame for both of Wrexham’s second half goals.
But the travelling support witnessed the reds in their new away shirts and a good solid start to the campaign.
Next week’s game at Crewe is likely to feature more of the regular first team players but Besian Idrizaj has made a point to Benitez that youth talent is knocking at the first team door.
You can watch Idrizaj’s hat-trick in the forum
I think the team agaist wrexham was good in a way, 3-0 up at halftime (most of them aren’t even first team players). I guess wrexham did alright but the mighty reds would never lose to a team like that.
Anyway the kit looks good!