REST, sleep, recovery? It’s overrated. Our lads got back at 4am on Friday while City slept for about a week. Couldn’t tell could you? Liverpool ripped up the script and wrote their own again. The billionaires will have to wait for their Anfield win. Here’s the ratings, your traditional out of ten.
SIMON MIGNOLET: 5
Bit backwards at coming forwards compared to recent weeks and a dodgy kick to boot. Maybe another chat with the missus? I back her over John Achterburg any day. Not much he could do on the goal.
DEJAN LOVREN: 6
Clearly still away with fairies when it comes to playing for Liverpool, he needs to read that book by Steve Peters. As the game wore on started to do a lot of simple things well. In rehabilitation.
EMRE CAN: 7
No heavy shirt for this lad. He wears it. He thrives in it. He looks every inch a captain to be honest. Will question his positioning and speed of reaction on the goal but plenty of beast mode too.
This season is becoming pleasingly mad.
— Karl (@TheCenci) March 1, 2015
MARTIN SKRTEL: 7
Battled, battled and battled some more. Warrior like showing from a fella arguably playing his best football for Liverpool.
ALBERTO MORENO: 5
Thought he struggled and looks like his team mates are actively avoiding passing to him. Needs another trick in his locker going forward and a bit more nous at the back.
LAZAR MARKOVIC: 5
Up and down. Gave it away too much but delightful chip to tee up Lallana. His time will come.
JORDAN HENDERSON: 7
Everything you’ve come to expect: energy, enthusiasm, organising. He gets knocked for that and people want more. There’s your more. What a goal.
JOE ALLEN: 8
Brilliant first half, threaded some superb balls, always looking forward. Should silence some doubters but won’t. Tired towards the end and looked like he was running in a swimming pool.
4 – Philippe Coutinho had four shots vs Man City, two of them on target, including the winning goal. Zone. #LFC pic.twitter.com/LPRoFe6c2z
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 2015
PHILIPPE COUTINHO: 7
Felt like it wouldn’t be his day and then he goes and does that. Not bad for a lad that can’t shoot. Would walk into any team in the league.
ADAM LALLANA: 9
Thought he was tremendous. Two offside goals, another one he could have done better with. Horrible, niggly, ran his arse off, did the dirty work. Love the dirty work.
RAHEEM STERLING: 6
Looked like a little fella dancing in a world of heavyweight boxers. Bullied out of it for much of the game but kept going and could – and should – have scored. Still a square peg and a round hole as a front man.
SUBS
DANIEL STURRIDGE: 6
Still looking rusty. The Sturridge of last season buries that chance.
KOLO TOURE: 6
Not much time to shine. No nonsense, which was exactly what was needed.
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda
Watch the game again… Coutinho MOM all day long. Some exquisite passing… and that goal!!
And who said Joe Allen can’t pass forward? MOTM by a country mile today: the calm amidst the storm, he was playing a different game, the only one in red not trying to force the game.
Though I’d agree generally, you’re a bit of a miser! I’d add 1 point to most players, and part of the reason Migs and Moreno score so low is the defender they’ve got in between them. The shakiest SM looked today was when he was working out what Louvren was trying to do. I’d also give another point to Skrtel for cover for Louvren several times (as he’s done since he came back in).
Thought Joe Allen was immense (no pun intended) and glad and surprised to see most of the internet agrees.
Totally agree, I don’t think Mignolet’s regression today is a coincidence. Lovren’s a liability. Let’s hope he’s only in the team because Sakho’s not ready. Time will tell whether Dejan can turn his Liverpool career around but his passing’s poor and he’s impetuous in the tackle. Raheem was poor today but still involved in both goals.
*no coincidence*!
I think you’re as guilty in your assessments of Lovren as others have been/are in their assessments of Allen. It’s like people make up their minds about certain players and it pretty much doesn’t matter what happens subsequently. Moreno and Mignolet have slightly dodgy games – let’s blame Lovren.
Lovren wasn’t perfect, but he is improving every game I’ve seen him recently. And of course he is catching up with Can and Skrtel in terms of minutes playing in the three.
I thought City’s goal was a great team goal and not one where I’d be specifically looking to blame any Liverpool player, but you can make a case that both Skrtel and Can could have done better (Skrtel tracks across with Aguero who already has two LFC players doing that, thereby leaving the space for Dzeko to run into; and Can is caught on his heels and doesn’t react quickly enough to Dzeko’s movement). The only one of the three who is totally blameless is Lovren. Although given Lovren is apparently responsible for both Moreno’s and Mignolet’s lapses, I suppose it’s not that much of a stretch to make him responsible for Skrtel’s and Can’s?
Not guilty m’lud. He was poor in the first half, improved in the second. His distribution was woeful early on, watch the game back. As stated, its no coincidence that Mignolet regressed today: poor communication and too many back passes.
I’m well aware that narratives develop around players and teams and they inform the way one watches games. I’m as guilty as the next man, we focus on a player’s faults. But, that doesn’t mean we’re wrong, narratives often develop for a reason. He is improving, and his faults are those that Sakho was guilty of when he first came into the team. I’m hoping that he’ll improve but he wouldn’t be in my first eleven this season.
Well that reads much fairer. I’d just cut him some slack as he familiarises himself with the three at the back and rebuilds his confidence. Agree distribution could be better, but at this stage in the cycle I’ll settle for him starting to resemble a relatively solid defender. Bear in mind the quality of the opposition today, too.
The one positive in all this is that all our players are improving under this manager, some maybe more than others but they are all improving and showing that willingness to get better too. Let’s give Lovern a little break, there was a time when I felt Skrtle would never be good enough but he has come good and is now one of the best CBs in the League.
Agree re City goal btw, I was more perturbed by Lovren’s going to ground so easily for Kun’s chance. Not for the first time either.
midfield great, defence mostly good, just Sterling and Markovitch poor. Coutinho a genius. Had a non English speaking French lad with me today, still talked more sense than John Gibbons.
I’d like to think that really is John’s old man giving John a whack on here every now and again. Give him is own occasional article.
Done with these player ratings articles.
I really like TAW but these have been a bad idea.
Ha ha, sound. We’ll be alright.
I’d take one of lallana. I think he was better than his previous performances but not a 9 (by your system).
same for Allen. I’d still buy a midfielder.
Coutinho was brilliant in my eyes. Tackling, touches, passing. Brilliant.
Agree with the rest.
Allen had possibly his best ever game for Liverpool, but if Coutinho can’t get MoM after that performance he never will. City simply couldn’t handle him. He caused them as many problems today as Messi did on Tuesday.
Lallana ran himself into the ground and he’s starting to look like the player we thought we’d bought. I suppose one of the real successes of today is that we beat the champions and yet Jordan Henderson (who was still good but you would have said before the game needed to be great if we were to beat City) wasn’t even one of our best four players (Coutinho, Allen, Lallana and Skrtel all better). That’s a real bonus for us, I think.
And if there is a better CH in the EPL than Skrtel right now, I haven’t seen him.
Good call on Skrtl.
Spot on, Coutinho’s best game, was rarely fouled as he was that far ahead of the play they couldn’t get near him. Every time there was a shout of man-on he knew ahead of time and dinked it round the corner before anyone knew what was happening.
Guy next to me said it best. Called him a Jedi!
Where are the Joe Allen haters?
Stopped reading after seeing Coutinho got 7. Awful ratings.
If anything, my respect for Lovren went up today. I’ll be pleased to see Sakho back but thought Lovren put everything into it today. After Thursday, I was pleased for him. As mentioned, one thing I like about Lallana is his pressing. It’s till the final minute. Can’t help but respect him for that. He’s one of those players where we play better when he’s on the pitch. Same with Allen I reckon. Our tempo is so much quicker. I wouldn’t really criticise anyone after a win like that but there is still improvement in Moreno and particularly Markovic but I’m fully convinced they’ll both be successes at Liverpool. There just young lads learning. Moreno has really impressed me recently. Looking at that City side, I can’t believe we did that to them second half. We’ve all thought for a long time that we’re a good team again but today was the last bit of proof we needed.
Yeah, Lallana was clearly knackered doing his post-match interview. If he can improve his fitness and add a yard of pace (difficult at this stage of his career I’d have thought) he’ll be some player for us. I like him, he’s an intelligent player, but he lacks conviction when we’re breaking, it’s as though he knows he’s going to be caught so is always looking either to turn or to lay the ball off. Generally uses the ball well though, and presses really well. It may be that our strikers need to learn to play to his strengths as I can’t imagine him getting quicker at this stage of his career.Moreno’s improving, he needs to work on his right foot, that would add a whole new dimension to his game.
Yeah, that’s a fair point but he’s got quick feet and a quick mind. I like the tempo and energy we have with Allen and Lallana. It free’s Henderson up to. I like the balance. Obviously, Sturridge has to fit in too as well. We’re looking good mate.
Moreno has most of the attributes you need to be a success as a fullback/wing-back in the modern game. He can be suspect defensively but that can be coached and to be fair it’s only until recently we’ve looked relatively settled at the back. Asking a young, new-to-the-EPL player to immediately start performing at the highest level is difficult enough when you’re team is playing generally well. Given we were a borderline basket-case at the start of the season, I reckon he’s done close to as well as could be expected. I get the impression opposition teams are starting to take notice of his forward threat, too.
I know mate. I’m pleased with his progress. I think mentioning him was borne out asking myself is there anywhere at all we can improve. I suppose the only place I’d look is at the wing backs but in general happy with all of them.
Isn’t it fabulous after all these years to finally have a “team” and a squad and not just be relying on one or two superhero’s. It’s been a long time, probably the late eighties since we can say that.
Sorry Gareth but you’ve had a mare here mate. Coutinho & Skrtel 7/10? Other than that Coutinho & Allen were like Xavi & Iniesta out there today
Nobody deserves less than a 7 today considering
The result
The performance
The opposition
The kick off time
The pitch
Thursday
Joe Allen was mom in my view. As Brendan said, he opens the door for others to go through.
Totally agree Frank. Raheem possibly a 6 but as you say taking Thursday into account it was a phenomenal effort by all of them. And on that basis these are stingy scores! Add one to Ming, Lovren, Skrtel, Moreno, Lazer, two to Coutinho (how can that performance not be a 9?!), and knock one off Lallana (excellent but not a 9).
Allen a borderline 9 – great performance, pipped by Phil for motm. All in all a fantastic team performance, and a massive bonus after Thursday’s trauma
WTRWWAW!!
I’m not a Lovren hater, and I agree he was better this game – especially second half. But our defensive stability was hard won and Lovren makes me nervous. That’s neither here nor there. But Lovren makes Mignolet nervous and that should ring massive alarm bells.
Did you see the look of terror on SM’s face when Aguero was coming towards him? Or Toure? Or Silva?
Me neither.
But look again at him when Lovren’s coming towards him. Two guys who don’t have a clue what the other is going to do.
Look! Here’s the deal.No high wire acts trying to show great insight and knowledge about the finer points of a great game.Do you think the players will be doing that?
No! I guarantee you they will be walking on air and remembering every positive moment about that game.They will be congratulating each other on a fantastic performance from everybody on that pitch.
Allen tired near the end?Lovren made a few misplaced passes?Can was out of position few times?
Come on!This should be what you go to watch football for.To get back home and remember all the great things that happened and you were there!
And then you can get back home and watch it again on Match of the Day and criticise them instead for not showing the whole game!
Coutinho 7? You is dain bramaged!!
Top bantz