He wont have slept a wink on Friday night, but you suspect Jon Flanagans Saturday will have been a whole lot more relaxing. A night in front of the boxing will have felt like peace and quiet after a frenzied afternoon at Goodison Park. The life of a footballer is such that a couple of weeks can make a world of difference. From backstage to centre stage, and all in the blink of an eye.A fortnight ago, Flanagan was in Seville, part of a mix-and-match Liverpool U21 side, sent to keep his eye in whilst the majority of his teammates were away furthering their credentials on international duty. There, under the Spanish sun and in front of the proverbial man and his dog, the idea of a starring role in the most exciting Merseyside derby in a generation will have seemed some way off. How quickly things change. If Flanagan was Brendan Rodgers great derby gamble, then he was one that paid off. On a madcap day when definitive conclusions were hard to draw, the 20-year-olds performance stood out a mile for the Reds. He was immense, said Rodgers afterwards. For a game like today, I needed characters, and someone who knows what this game is about. Hes done brilliantly. Steven Gerrard, who has seen more than most when it comes to these fixtures, revealed that there had been a round of applause for Flanagan in the Reds dressing room after the game. Gerrard said he would be picking up the ECHO this morning expecting to see his young teammate named Man of the Match. That might be ignoring the contribution of others somewhat - Simon Mignolet, for example, or the impressive Everton duo of James McCarthy and Ross Barkley - but it is easy to see Gerrards point. If this was the biggest game of Flanagans fledgling career, then it barely showed. Preferred to Aly Cissokho Flanagan was in the game from the word go. With much of Evertons threat coming down their right, via the direct running of Kevin Mirallas, the youngster was always going to have his work cut out. Still, he was confident enough to venture forward early on, his run helping force the corner from which Philippe Coutinho prodded the Reds in front on five minutes. Smart and composed in possession - there were no percentage balls or hopeful hoofs - Flanagans defensive work was equally assured. His positional play, impressive considering his natural position is as a right-back, allowed him to make a series of well-timed interceptions, whilst his wholeheartedness - a key reason for his selection ahead of Cissokho - was in evidence as he competed well against the livewire Mirallas. Save for one occasion, when the Belgian ghosted past him far too easily before driving off target, the Liverpool man shaded the battle in the opening period. Gerard Deulofeus introduction shortly after half-time provided a fresh examination. The Spaniards pace is searing, and forced Flanagan (and Liverpool) on to the back foot. What it didnt do, however, was sap his spirit. Cafu he may not be, but he was confident enough to offer an option whenever Liverpool attacked. Indeed, had Glen Johnson spotted him, unmarked, as he weaved his way across the penalty area, then Flanagan may well have turned a fine derby debut into an exceptional one. As it was, he can be more than satisfied with his afternoons work. After a stellar start to his Reds career under Kenny Dalglish in early 2011, the past two years have been rather less kind. The memories of those early outings, when he excelled against the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, have faded quickly. He managed just 101 minutes for the first team last season and, prior to his surprise selection at Arsenal earlier this month, hadnt started a league game for the Reds since a nightmare outing at Blackburn, some 19 months ago. That he could come back into the fold in such circumstances at Arsenal, and then deliver a performance of such quality in the powderkeg atmosphere of a derby, says plenty about his character, as much as his ability. Hes a terrific boy, said Rodgers. You come to places like Goodison, and youve got to be able to defend and be a man. But Ive seen enough of him. It doesnt matter if he is playing in front of six people in training or 90,000 in a game, hes the same. He doesnt get affected. That was why I put him in. Rodgers admitted Flanagans performance had given him something to think about. With Jose Enrique out until the New Year, and Cissokho making a slow start to his Reds career, the left-back spot is there for the taking at the moment. Flanagan did his prospects no harm whatsoever here. It wont be as lively as this, but expect to see him at Hull City next weekend. Hes earned his chance. Source: Liverpool Echo
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:30:01 +0000
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