Pepe Reina signs new Liverpool contract

"Why commit? Because I am happy here and I think the club is happy too. I see no reason to leave." 

Does any more need to be said? 

Pepe is a real class act in every sense of the word. If I were Spain's manager then I would be thinking very seriously about why he is not wearing the number 1. Don't get me wrong: Casillas is a fine keeper, but Pepe is more than just a fine keeper. On keeping alone I suppose it would be pretty close, with Casillas possibly pipping Reina in the shot stopping category. But Pepe completely blows Casillas out the water when it comes to everything else.

Pepe is a true sweeper-keeper. He performs the duties of a deep defender when the rest of the team is on attack (he even took a throw in against Birmingham when time was running out). He's comfortable with the ball at his feet and he knows how to drop his shoulder and wrong-foot oncoming strikers (which in turn allows him to play more useful clearances). 

Then there is the attacking side of his play. Last season Pepe got himself three assists in three games against Real Madrid, Man Utd, and Aston Villa. He knows how to spot an opening and is always looking to get the ball out quickly. It's got to the point now where opposing strikers are having to crowd him out when he's got the ball in his hands just so that he can't release it early.

Finally we have his character. The quote above is but a hint at the love that Pepe has for our great club. When we played against Tottenham at Anfield and all the fans came out to meet the team bus, Pepe was apparently very emotional in the dressing room and said "That would never happen at any other club in the world".  

Stevie recently gave an interview with LFC Weekly in which he tipped Pepe to someday lead the Reds as captain. "In training and on the pitch he's fantastic. He's always positive and helping his teammates. I can see a captain in him. I certainly hope he does because he deserves it." Remember that this is Steven Gerrard we are talking about. Captain fantastic himself. Though he's had a poor season by his standards he still knows what he's talking about.

While Stevie's season may have been poor, Pepe's has been fantastic. I will admit that two or three years ago I was unsure of whether Pepe was the man for the job. He seemed a little skittish and battled in the air. Now though, I am more surprised when he makes a mistake than when he makes a spectacular save. Pepe has my vote for our man of the season, and I will be very disappointed if he does not win it.

To sum it all up, Pepe was asked during the press conference about what affect qualification for the Champion's League would have on his long term future at the club. In reply he said:  "Liverpool is one of the best clubs in the world. Whatever happens, whether we are in the Champions League or the Europa League, it is still Liverpool no matter what."

Well said, Pepe. 

Liverpool vs Lille: Match Review

Can someone please tell me who this team is? I don’t recognise them at all!

Jokes aside, that was another fantastic performance! Every single person pitched up and put nothing less than everything they had into the game. Makes me proud to be a red when I see that.

Starters

Pepe – Same old, same old. Nothing all game. One fantastic save.

Johnson – He really does complete our backline. Confident in defence, aggresive in attack. Brilliant.

Carra – Completely unflappable. Fantastic Carra tackle in the box. Great stuff.

Agger – Took one hell of a beating. Performed comfortably but should possibly have had at least one goal to his name. Still, goals from defenders will always be a bonus.

Insua – The lad’s getting tricksy now! Great attacking display. Pertformed comfortably in defence as well. No complaints. Good stuff.

Mascherano – Made the midfield his own. Nothing gets past Masch on his day.

Lucas – One of his very best performances. Pity about the dive.

Kuyt – Been a while since he’s played this well. Was a constant threat down the flank and gave Torres something to work with. Excellent.

Gerrard – Oh how he needed that goal! fantastic Gerrard performance. Ran everywhere, demanded the ball, passed like a champion, got into good areas, brilliant.

Babel – It is soooooo good to see Babel really sprint. Ran his little red heart out, and not just for the onbvious balls. He hassled the defence and really made his pace count. How I have longed to see him play like this!

Torres – 4 goals in 2 games. Not bad. Could be better  . Man of the match.

Subs

Not really worth mentioning any of them. They all came on so late.

This is the first time in a very, very long time that I haven’t had a single negative comment about any individual performance. Well done lads. You’ve done me proud.

Lucas deserves special mention for his truly great performance. If it hadn't been for Torres' brace (without which we would have gone to extra time) then he would have been my Man of the Match. Great job kid. You've given Rafa a real stinker to pick the team for Man U now.

The only thing that irked me was that we pulled off the gas when we were only one goal to the good. 2-0 was not a safe score; all they need is one goal and we go crashing out. Still, we did eventually (and slightly fortunately) get the third, so no harm done.

Now, Lets murder the scum!