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If you fell asleep before Liverpool came back to beat Preston North End, I forgive you. The first 70 minutes of the match were as dull and uninteresting as it gets, which was to be expected against a League One side. Rickie Lambert and Emre Can started, Can got hurt in the 20th minute (an ominous minute for Liverpool so far this preseason), and Preston scored a tap in. Lambert and Coutinho were the most impressive in that time, and Lucas looked awful. There's your highlight reel for the first 70 minutes. Oh, and Kevin Davies plays for Preston now. The one who used to play for Bolton. Between him and Johan Elmander (who we saw in the previous friendly), this preseason is shaping up to be a "Washed Up Strikers: Where Are They Now?" tour.
The people who managed to remain conscious until the 70th minute were rewarded with a dazzling final 20 minutes, as a mass introduction of youngsters and outcasts led the way to a comeback victory. Suso tried his luck from distance a few times to start the second half, but it didn't look like he was ever going to threaten the goal. And then, in the 74th minute, he took one touch to cut inside from the right side of the box and unleashed a gem of a curler into the far corner with his left foot. It was a much needed strike for Suso after he cost Liverpool a goal with a poor clearance in the previous friendly. Jordan Ibe, who played for 70 minutes after he replaced Can, was once again the star of the show. Minutes after earning an assist for Suso's goal, he blew past a defender at the byline and cut the ball back to Kris Peterson who scored with the help of a deflection to complete the comeback. That's three assists in two friendlies for Ibe, and he could have at least three goals right now if he was a better finisher. As I said in the last recap, Ibe looks like a special player and is on a similar developmental trajectory to that of Raheem Sterling at his age. He has to work on a few things though and it remains to be seen if that work will come at Liverpool or on loan at another club. Right now, he's making an awfully good case to stay on board.
17-year-old Jordan Rossiter looked solid in the midfield today, and to be brutally honest he was miles better than Lucas. Jose Enrique made his first appearance in ages and looked like his old self. By that I mean that when the crowd chanted "SHOOT" with him 40 yards from goal he actually did it. Classic.
Now the team heads to the US where they'll neglect the West Coast once again. I'M NOT BITTER. The first game on the American side of the pond is at Fenway Park on Wednesday against Roma.
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