It was just M&M’s. And it wasn’t just the chocolate candy. Now we’ve got the Three M’s. Middlesborough, Manchester United and Marseille. All starting with a goal advantage against the reds, only to have it cancelled and eventually overturned. Three in space of three and a half weeks. I don’t think it’s a mere fluke. Talking in three’s, it’s resilience, buoyancy and finally springiness. Not too bad for a side and a manager who some claim lack a Plan B. But yesterday was there the need for a Plan B?

Just as Liverpool conceded, a mate next to me told me he’s not too panicked. I just nodded my agreement. Liverpool kicked off from the middle again. No need for reshuffling, nor big urges from the boss and so on. There were eleven players who were thought the best for the occasion and the goal conceded was just a shot that hit a soldier but never got close to his beating heart. And a mere eight minutes later, the equalizer was secured. Last Saturday, the reds got a magnificent result without the presence of the two main stars of the side – Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. The sheer hard work, team work and depth in the squad made up for the unfortunate loss of both. There was talk that maybe the absence of the two maybe proved providential for Liverpool, as the reds expanded their game more between the eleven rather than narrowing themselves just through these two. Yesterday though was a reminder that along with the hard work, the inspiration such rare ones are capable to provide is a marvel and that their absence last Saturday was only a handicap that Liverpool got through by their adaptability. It was Gerrard’s turn yesterday. Firstly Torres wins the ball in the midfield, advances, passes to Kuyt who in return passes back to his captain. And from outside the penalty area, with a shot seemingly used earlier in a geometry experiment, the captain celebrated and justified the earlier accolade of Liverpool’s best player in Europe voted by the local people for the local paper, The Liverpool Echo.

And then minutes later, from the artistry of that shot, this time he crafted another one from eleven metres, not once but twice. The sound mentality of the captain shone through as he was ordered to re-take the successful penalty kick. He just repeated the same shot to his right with their keeper again diving at the other end. It was Ryan Babbel who won the kick when his change of speed and wicked foot movement committed the Marseilliase defender to bring him down. Earlier on, a lovely turn enabled him to lose his marker but his vociferous shot ended up high above the woodwork. The rapper lookalike seemed on a mission to lose the tag of a super-sub as he proved more than handful to their defence. A brilliant block by their keeper in the dying minutes denied him from his second goal of the season but his performance overall can’t have done his esteem with Rafa any harm.

The second forty-five minutes weren’t the best ever offered by Liverpool. The one goal advantage was threatened every now and then, but eventually the reds went through it. In the green shirt, with no commercial logo, Reina’s chest and presence looked even bigger than usual, as he marshaled his defense superbly, and at the very dying minutes blocked superbly to secure a perfect start on this other European adventure.

The resilience of this Liverpool side has been there for all to see. Stoke at Anfield, might ask for another quality, which after having built such a basis, it is now opportune to enforce further the springiness and free flow more into the creative qualities of this side to get the three points in a different manner. Aplomb can be now coupled with determination.