A RETURNING Neil Atkinson is back in the chair to chat with Andy Heaton, Melissa Reddy and Mike Nevin about Aston Villa 0-6 Liverpool.

Is football really that simple?

For all the analysis, statistics, distance measurements and micro-management, is it really as straightforward as just having someone who’s knows their way around a penalty box and is good a putting the ball between the and under the hollow aluminium tubes?

The more than slight return of Daniel Andre Sturridge gives heavy weight to the ‘talk is cheap, goals pay the rent’ argument.

The return of the lesser spotted forward galvanized a Liverpool side who took every available opportunity to punish and truly turgid Aston Villa.

With encouraging performances across the pitch, including a masterclass of what a playmaker looks like from from Coutinho, aided and abetted by an again impressive Roberto Firmino and the beauty of movement in front of them, Liverpool decimated Villa like a dose on a cruise liner.

But was Liverpool’s victory another false dawn, merely a result of any real quality or commitment from their opponents? Or did Liverpool merely do what they’ve failed to do so many times of late and asserted their superiority with aplomb?

And how should Jürgen Klopp’s reloaded Red’s now look towards their Europa League tie against Ausburg?

Will we only really know the answer about the importance of the Villa performance after Thursday’s first-leg in Germany?

With a break between games on the horizon for the first time all season, should Klopp keep roughly the same side to gain momentum and confidence, or will he be tempted to shuffle his pack on his first return to his Germany as Liverpool manager?

Will he be tempted to wrap his star striker in the proverbial cotton wool, or will he give Daniel Sturridge the minutes to build up match sharpness with a potential grand stand finish to the season on the horizon?

All this and much more debated on this week’s ‘Big Show’, it’s your FREE Anfield Wrap Podcast.

Up The Reds.

Direct: Liverpool Turn The Screw

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