Harry Kewell: Good as new?

During our recent good run of form, (pre-Reading that is), I don’t know if many of you have noticed, but Harry Kewell had returned. And I do not just mean, ‘returned,’ as in returning from gout, torn muscles, or whatever it is he was out for this time, but I mean, actually, returned. Usually, when players come back, they start trying to find their feet, and this is what he did, but what he did then showed his determination, and willingness to so well for the club, and repay Rafa’s faith in his while he was out.

It is worth keeping in mind that he is playing for a new contract, and many of you did say before he returned that he is too injury prone to be considered as a long-term fixture in the league, but I do recall myself saying that given the opportunities, he would deliver the goods. Now, its not often that I am proved right, but I do think I may have been correct on this occasion. He came on against Cardiff City in the Carling Cup, alright not the most challenging of encounters, but he had previously scored for the Reserve team too. Since then, his performances have slowly picked up, whenever he has been called upon. He was one of our best players I thought, in that rather insipid encounter with Blackburn, and again did well against Besiktas, who were down-and-out at the time. He made his first start against Newcastle at St James Park, and that was the match in which he really started to excel, and try to force his way to a regular starting place in the first team, and, more importantly, a new contract. He looked sharp, and constantly threatened the flat-footed Newcastle defence. Then in the Porto match, he came on as a substitute, and didn’t just look sharp. He made a difference. It was 1-1 when he came on, and Liverpool were not going to go out, but they would have had more than a foot out the door of the Champions League. People will remember Fernando Torres’ contribution in that match, and rightly so. It is also worth remembering the fact that Harry Kewell received the ball on the half-way line, and went past two or three Porto players, held off another defender, showing real strength, and played a delightful stabbed pass to Fernando Torres, who then sliced the Porto defence wide open, and scored a beautiful goal. Unfortunately, in those circumstances, it is the goal that is remembered.

Then Liverpool travelled to the Madjeski, and had an ‘off-day,’ in every sense of the word. Kewell didn’t play particularly well, but he wasn’t the worst player on the pitch I don’t think…

Yesterday, we had to go to Marseille, and get all three points from the Stade Velodrome. Something which no British side had done in the past. In my opinion, Harry Kewell was the best player on the pitch. Did anyone else notice that all three of our goals came from the left side of midfield? Was it the fact that Marseille were shite in that area of the pitch, or the fact that Harry Kewell combined very well with Jon Arne Riise, and posed a threat all throughout the match? I really hope he starts against Manchester United. Ryan Babel has done well when he has come on, and he could be used as a substitute in that game, but Harry Kewell has done enough to get a starting place at Anfield on Sunday, and in my opinion, he has also shown enough quality, to get a new contract…