Pre-season is alway dull as friendly matches tend to be about as exciting as a night in with Trevor Francis.
This pre-season has been no different to any others with Liverpool going through the motions against teams they could hammer if it mattered.
Improving fitness and team bonding is the main thing at this time of year so it would be foolish in the extreme to expect flowing football and games that keep you on the edge of your seat (maybe someone should tell Sky!).
But last night something different happened, something I can't remember ever seeing at a Liverpool friendly in all my life - the lads got involved in a bit of a scrap.

It may not have been reminiscent of Ali versus Frazier or even Bugner against Bruno but it was a proper show of aggression from a team which previously looked about as nasty as Dora the Explorer.
When Mascherano kicked the horrible Drenthe up in the air after his cowardly stamp on Gerrard I was made up.
A swift bit of retribution always sends a clear message that we're not to be messed with.
In the halcyon days when Souness ruled the midfield at home and abroad we never needed to resort to retribution because he'd always got his retaliation in early.
But Mascherano's nasty little kick was definitely a start, an example for others to follow.
And so they did, as first Gerrard weighed in with a cheeky left hand that he's no doubt thrown before on the Bluebell. Before the rest on the team piled in with Pepe Reina, in particular, settling scores left, right and centre.
This is what I want to see from Liverpool. Fair play awards are all well and good but the very best sides tend to have that bit of nastiness about them that lets others know they are not to be messed with.
The great Liverpool sides of the late 70s and early 80s could play, we all know that, but they could also mix it when it really mattered.
They had an almost Argentinean footballing mentality with skill being mixed with aggression and flair fused with mild violence.
Hopefully last night's show of fighting spirit shows that those days are coming back.

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