The REAL unsung hero: Martin Skrtel

 The REAL unsung hero of Liverpool FC. The last man, the fierce-looking bad-ass. The tormentor. The stopper. He is Martin Skrtel.

Skrtel plunged into the net in his successful clearance of the Newcastle's forward, Demba Ba when it was 2-1 and it is every body's guess what could have happened if the ball went in. Thank You Skrtel.                    

The match started at 3.50am Malaysian time and I put my alarm-clock at 3.55am. No, I didn't miss anything as the real fight happened in the second halves. Mind you, I had to dash to the 7-11 to buy myself a pack of ciggies during the break. I should have prepared earlier but it was raining at midnight, thus the dawn-rush to the 24-hour store. Smokers are crazy. hmmm...

We are happy that at last, and a much needed one, the squad registered a win. Thanks to the two goals by Craig Bellamy (before he was elbowed by Fabricio Coloccini) and the most exciting last goal by our long injured captain, Steven Gerrard. The win itself bring some sort of a relief after a spell of draws and failure to convert sufficiently to kill the game. The virus seems to be persisted in the match, and as many of you would testify, the arrival of Gerrard brought the stalemate into a lively fight. He rejuvenated the squad.

Already without the skilled Luis Suarez, the squad looks going into another draw at Anfield but Gerrard changed the delicate situation. He reminded the opposition from now on, Steven Gerrard is BACK and will haunt you. With his charisma, the squad is totally a different entity of being dubbed as a draw-specialist, one who doesn't know how to score and sub-standard.

Enough of that. I'm sure some of you already tired of reading such glorification. However,  I reserved my special glorification to one man, who is the typical of Liverpool's last man, who shunned unnecessary publicity on and off the pitch, who focused on his job and have been the real reason of Liverpool being one of the meanest defences unit in the English league. He is Martin Skrtel.

Every body seems to be oblivious of what could have happened if Skrtel failed in his effort to clear the straight-to-the-net ball, chipped by Newcastle's forward Demba Ba. The goals would be 2-2 and definitely it would fired-up the Newcastle squad to go for a win. Instead, Skrtel was adamant. He kick the ball out, at the same time losses his own balanced and crashed into the net. Based on his reaction, he somehow hurt himself in doing so. But not part of a play-acting select group of players, he got back on his feet and resume his duty til the end. 

Now what do you call that? Skrtel, the hero? For me, the fact that he scored in the Aston Villa win and consistently performing above the par, makes Skrtel a reincarnation of Samy Hyppia glory days. Skrtel's partnership with Daniel Agger is in the same mould of Hyppia and Henchoz during the Gerard Houllier's era. The jury is still out there if the duo could be compared to the legends, Hensen and Lawro, and Thommo. The current squad of Kenny Dalglish have to win cups before they can even be considered to the legends. But mind you, I believe Skrtel and Agger are on the way to be one of our modern legends. The steady performances of the duo, making it some how a bit hard for our bastion, Jamie Carragher to be reinstated to his old position. I guess, it is time for Carra to accept the situation has changed for the benefit of the club as a whole.

Martin Skrtel, you are utusanlfc's MAN OF THE MATCH.