On the road with Liverpool... John Edwards in Utrecht

30 September 2010 11:04
They have always been fair and reasonable people in my experience, have the Dutch, so we'll give the pilot the benefit of the doubt.[LNB]Dutch airline Transavia is Liverpool travel partner Thomas Cook's choice of carrier for the 55-minute charter flight to Amsterdam, and the fella at the controls is determined to make the most of his opportunity.[LNB]The coastline is looming 30,000 feet below, and the stream of information from the flightdeck is such, it's a bit like being at one of those welcome meetings Thomas Cook inflict on their package holiday customers.[LNB] Raring to go: Liverpool's players train at Utrecht's Stadion Galgenwaard[LNB]'Yar, if you look out to the left, you can shee the grand prix track at Zandvoort,' says the captain-cum-travel guide. 'And on the right, the coashtal town of Scheveningen, with the largest pier in the Netherlands. A bit like Brighton, yar?'[LNB]Hardly, but we'll gloss over that and move on to his next observation. The one that veered into captain cock-up territory and left us all wondering whether he was taking a bit of a liberty with Liverpool's recently reduced European status. Either that or, despite sounding like Steve McClaren doing an interview for Dutch TV, his knowledge of football left something to be desired.[LNB]'On the left now-ish the ground of a future opponent of Liverpool, I think,' he announced. We look down, thinking it's a reference to Liverpool's anticipated return to the Champions' League next season and expecting to see Ajax's stadium but, at the same time, thinking that should surely be further inland. The momentary confusion is soon ended. 'Yar, AZ Alkmaar.'[LNB]Quizzical looks are exchanged, and the chap from BBC radio drily observes: 'Shouldn't he be concentrating on landing?' He should and he does, and as he taxis towards one of seemingly hundreds of gates at Amsterdam's sprawling Schiphol Airport, he is forgiven his indiscretion, as he adds: 'I am Dutch, but I hope you win tomorrow night.'[LNB] Warm-up: Maxi Rodr?uez prepares himself ahead of the Europa League clash[LNB]Fair play, even if it was a blatant pitch for another booking. If the flight was brief, the same could hardly be said of the trek towards baggage reclaim - you can walk for miles at Schiphol - or transfer to Utrecht. As our coach left the bustling airport - bereft, pointedly, of any Utrecht scarves or shirts or any Dutch media presence, as a further indication of Liverpool's fall from grace on the European stage - we hit an A road that had the luxury of no fewer than five lanes.[LNB]Unfortunately, two were blocked off by bollards, and there was a queue of standing traffic as far as the eye could see. A reason, perhaps, for Roy Hodgson's occasional tetchiness when we finally made it to Utrecht's Stadion Galgenwaard for a teatime press conference.[LNB]A tendency towards snappy, barbed retorts has unfortunately been a feature of his dealings with the media thus far, in his brief time as Liverpool manager, as has an apparent liking for displaying his range of vocabulary. He doesn't always quite select the right word, as was the case when he justified leaving Steven Gerrard back on Merseyside and said he didn't want to exaggerate the Liverpool captain's injury, when he meant exacerbate it. Close enough, Roy. We knew what you meant.[LNB]He came out with a cracker, though, when the press association correspondent persisted with a line of questioning about Gerrard's condition and was promptly cut short by a stinging putdown. 'I thought I had given an answer that adequately covered the subject of why Steven isn't here,' he fumed. 'So why do you have to extrapolate?'[LNB] Under pressure: Roy Hodgson faces the press in Holland[LNB]Now, you have to develop a thick skin in the reporting game, because the insults and accusations come thick and fast, from managers, players, supporters and readers, but I can safely say I've never heard any of my colleagues accused of extrapolating.[LNB]He wasn't the only one to be chastised. My question about Fernando Torres' readiness for three games in a week was answered in two parts. The first was a lengthy, in-depth analysis of how the Liverpool striker had put his injury worries behind him, the second somewhat shorter. 'And secondly,' he said. 'What gives you the right to think you can pick my team for me?' [LNB]It was Hodgson's way of trying to keep his starting line-up under wraps, but surely not? [LNB]As Liverpool head into their second group game in this ancient city - the fourth largest in Holland, with buildings and structures dating back to the early Middle Ages and a network of canals that give it an Amsterdam-like air - it is surely inconceivable that Torres would go through the rigours of travelling to another country without actually playing. [LNB]Or is that just more extrapolation?[LNB] Liverpool leave Gerrard at home but Torres travels for Europa clashEuropa victory over Utrecht will kick start Liverpool's season, says Kuyt LIVERPOOL FC

Source: Daily_Mail