WHAT a strange game of football that was. Far too end of season far too in the season. Let’s put it down to semi-final distractions… Anyway, some scores and then some words that may or may not reflect them.
SIMON MIGNOLET: 9
Meeting me and Andy in the week had the predictable positive impact we all knew it would. Saves, punches, even some decent footwork. The biggest turnaround since we said we wouldn’t charge for content.
GLEN JOHNSON: 3
My drama teacher used to say: “If you start well and end well, the audience won’t care what happens in the middle”. He’d probably change his mind if he saw Johnson play tonight.
ALBERTO MORENO: 5
Benefited greatly from not being Glen Johnson. Daft yellow aside. Some good overlapping.
DEJAN LOVREN: 5
Makes you weep at least once a game. Should have conceded a penalty. Another clean sheet though. So he must be doing something right.
EMRE CAN: 6
Wasn’t sure he could play at the back in a two, but did well overall. Some great front foot defending and brought the ball out well. Will have greater tests against teams who actually play a striker.
LUCAS LEIVA: 5
Looked a little slow trying to counter their neat play. Decent enough with the ball, but needs to be more alive on Sunday.
JORDAN HENDERSON: 6
Lovely ball for the opening goal. Great free kick for the Lucas header, too. But looks half the player when he lets his energy levels drop
JOE ALLEN: 5
Didn’t feel he was doing enough to get us up the pitch. But tried to get stuck in against bigger lads. Which is basically everyone. First goal at Anfield in the Premier League as well. Which is nice.
JORDON IBE: 5
Couldn’t really get in the game. But a new position for him, for us at least, after a break out. Shame we can’t use him at all this weekend. Should have thought that one through a bit better, Liverpool.
RAHEEM STERLING: 7
Lovely goal after a gorgeous touch. Then he missed that other one allowing Ronnie Rosenthal to have the best sleep he’s enjoyed in years tonight. He’s still our best player though. Don’t care what you say. He’s 20 years old, ladies and gentlemen, even if he is a bit of a balloon (allegedly).
PHILIPPE COUTINHO: 8
Actually maybe he’s our best player. Treats the match ball like it belongs to him. Had a unfamiliar role for much of tonight but he’s still the business. Imagine him with a striker that can run.
32 – Since Boxing Day, Liverpool have taken 32 points from 14 PL games, one more than league leaders Chelsea. Crisis.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 13, 2015
SUBS
FABIO BORINI: 5
Better at Grand National outfits than football. No disgrace. I’m crap at both, mate.
RICKIE LAMBERT: 5
Thought it was really mean that they stopped trying to attack when he came on. But not as mean as not putting Brannagan on instead. Come on Brendan, lad. He’s been on the bench since December.
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Read: Neil Atkinson’s match review: Liverpool v Newcastle
Read: Monday column: What’s the deal with the contracts, Liverpool?
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Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda-Photo
You really, REALLY need to watch the game over, mate.
Your “grade” and description of Lucas seriously strain credulity, to the point of having me wonder if you watched the game in Braille.
You gave a 5 out of 10 to a world-class withdrawn/holding midfielder performance.
Absurd does not begin to describe it. Comprehensively divorced from reality comes close.
You gave Lucas and Allen the same grade/rating as you gave Lambert, Borini, Ibe and Lovren. You gave Sterling a 7!!!
This is NUTS. You’ve lost the plot. Sorry.
Absolutely agree. The press assessed Lucas as masterful and making Gerrard wonder if he’s going to get the nod at Wembley. Sadly, our best mf doesn’t include him these days.
To be honest if you can watch a game of football via Braille then I don’t know why a Lucas rating is getting any attention.
Jesus! Talk about name dropping. Have you no shame? haha.
Just because you watch on Braille doesn’t mean you’re out of touch.
Allen said ‘I’m pleased with my goal but disappointed I played wank’
Lucas was no better. World class performance, lol, have you been hanging out with Sterling? You need to stay off the gas mate. Personally, I think the scores are fair.
P.s John, Love the Mignolet rating comment, haha, as I did the ‘once we’ve worked out how to charge people’ comment a few weeks ago.
Thought Lucas was excellent myself,
Considering he’s just back from an injury and how rusty he looked at Highbury I was delighted to see that there is life in the old dog yet,
Playing it simple and starting to snap into tackles higher up the pitch he’s been as badly missed as anyone this year,
I really hope Brendan doesn’t go dicking around with the midfield on Sunday.
Don’t get me wrong Derek, Lucas has been excellent and has been badly missed but I don’t understand this high praise from everyone after last night. Newcastle being appalling takes nothing away from Lucas but ‘excellent’, ‘world class’ – I just can’t see what it’s borne out of. I thought Mignolet made a couple of good saves, Coutinho had flashes of absolute brilliance and Henderson played a couple of good balls but that’s as positive as I can get. I’m worried about Sunday.
Ha ha i hear your point and there is prob a bit of clutching at straws on my behalf but i suppose what I’m looking for is something to show that Lucas/Hendo/Allen & Chan will do next year as the Midfield and the bulk of investment can go on keepers & Strikers,
He’s also that rarity who never seems to do anything particularly eye catching (a rare cracking header aside)
Yet at the same time the team functions better when he’s on his game.
Well Derek, for what it’s worth, I’ve just watched the match again and I might have been a harsh overall. Lucas did better than I’d thought. I didn’t actually remember the first half being so good. I put it down to the ugly feeling I had that we should have been out of sight but it was gonna end up 1-1. There’s a saying ‘you should never worry about something that hasn’t even happened’. I think doing that ruined my enjoyment of the game. Second time round I found really enjoyable.
It was a strange game but giving Glen Johnson 3 is stranger still. One of our better players tonight despite the inevitable dozy moments. What a player he could be if he could get his head right!
Ha ha very funny
Johnson one of our better players?!?!?!
(Face palm and walks away shaking head)
Don’t want to go all statto on you, Gibbo, but Joe Allen scored at Anfield against Zenit a few years back. First time he’s scored and we’ve won though!
On this rationale Gibbo, Lee Mason gets a 10 for his career to date!
Lee Mason should be exiled and all records of his existence deleted,
Tried his best last night to get through a game without having to make any decisions at all,
In the top 3 of worst refs ever.
I think he’s actually the worst.
In the lead up to the Lovren penalty that wasn’t, we should have had a free-kick and then the free-kick warded against Lucas that led to the penalty incident was never a free-kick.
Mason is the sort of ref who is affected by the reaction of players who are genuinely aggrieved (rather than simply feigning injustice). He knew the penalty decision would be 3 in a row against LFC so he didn’t have the balls to give it. Simple as that.
BTW, watch the Lovren incident again: he gets the faintest of touches on the ball. The revolution of the ball changes after his foot sweeps past it. I can’t understand why this hasn’t been mentioned until now. *If* Mason sees that (I don’t think he does as it’s barely noticeable), then this provides the only other explanation for why he didn’t give a pen.
Penalty incident and header apart, I thought Lovren did well last night. Some great interceptions and challenges, won most things in the air, provided a threat from corners and even his passing was improved. I realize he’ll come up against bigger challenges than that presented by Newcastle’s forward line last night, but I don’t he’s played badly in his last few performances for Liverpool. Doing 90% of things well with the odd aberration thrown in is pretty much where Sakho is right now, but both have arrived at this place via completely different journeys, hence one is lauded as the new messiah and the other is regularly trashed.
Great ratings John saw several others giving Allen 8 which is way to high apart from the goal thought he was bullied throughout the game , how Ibe started over Markovic. Also what does Johnson offer he is a liability and we might as well be playing with 10 players. There was no need for 2 holding midfielders at home to Newcastle. As for the subs well they were confusing to say the least
Raheem Sterling, he’s not silver he’s gold…and he’s still only 20 years old.
Have to agree with the other comments taught Lucas was brilliant last night won his headers and tackles, covered the ground well and his first time passing is so important for the tempo we play at. All are best football this season comes when he is in the team , gets everything going highly underrated in my opinion
First time Allen has scored at Anfield in the Premier League. My apologies, fact fans, it was John’s editor, not John.
Aldo’s reaction to Borini taking the extra touch in that Radio City clip is hilarious.
Ha ha, agreed, I buzzed off that.