A DIFFICULT game to rate, really. In that we collectively looked good for periods, and collectively didn’t for others. But no-one ever said it was going to be easy. And sometimes a hero just needs to rise.
Simon Mignolet 8
Clean sheet. Couple of great saves. Grabbed things. Even if some of them were late. Are you sure you wanna piece of me?
Nathaniel Clyne 6
Looks happier at right back. You sense he was happy to have a steady game today.
Alberto Moreno 6
Pffft. Dunno. Rate him yourselves. Seems to want to make it work.
Martin Skrtel 6
It’s hard for a centre half sometimes. Harry Kane decided to play on Skrtel, which can make you look a hero or a fool. Skrtel ended up looking somewhere between the two.
Mamadou Sakho 7
Great block in the first half. Looked impressive when called upon, but hard to score him higher when we conceded chances so freely first half.
Lucas Leiva 7
Tired towards the end, but you feel much better when he’s there. Took an awful shot, like
Emre Can 7
Enjoyed his performance. Too soon to talk about the manager’s influence really, but Can did seem to have a bit more pep in his step.
James Milner 5
Looked a bit between positions. You feel him and Klopp can work together somehow. It’s just working out how.
Philippe Coutinho 5
I don’t think he’s a 10, you know. Prepared to have a chat about it whenever.
Adam Lallana 7
Work-rate phenomenal and central to all the good attacking work. Still does your head in, like. But faster.
Divock Origi 6
Hard for him. Was often isolated and out numbered. Hit the bar though. Close that. Although I’m no mathematician.
SUBS
Joe Allen 5
Ran around a bit.
Jordon Ibe 5
Ran around a bit, too.
FANS
Mick Clarke 10
Can’t remember the last time i saw him when he’d been to bed.
Sakho was head and shoulders better than anyone else.
Skrtel was easily our worst defender.
There should be much more than a point that separates them.
Migs – couple of good saves but kicking still shite
Clyne – looks better at full back
Moreno – looks better at wing back
Skrtel – don’t get so close and you won’t get turned
Sakho – solid
Lucas – kept it simple, reassuring presence
Milner – not his best day. Missing Hendo more than most
Couts – worked hard, no understanding with Origi yet
Llana – probably outrun Milner today
Origi – promising start
Emre Can? That’s why we only drew. Had we played with eleven men, who knows what the score would’ve been!
Good point, in more ways than one.
Can – better at backheels than gegen
really pleased with the TEAM WORK..and fighting spirit. Spurs, having recently beat ManC, is not an easy place to get result this season.
~ Ming: 3 key saves; i can live w his kicking for today
~ Clyne: 7. excellent defending and yet still had enough in tank to go forward towards the end
~ Moreno: new Riise
~ Sakho: enough leadership and solid defending; i can live w his usual 5 mins of crazy spell each match.
~ Skert: 6 for clean sheet; 5 for some messy defending
~ Lucas: solid 7; “Working Class Hero”
~ Milner: 5; enough running to deserve a rest in midweek match though;
~ Can: Ar least he was not in back three giving the ball away :); solid 6.
~ Phil: another performance like this and he may end up as impact sub fr the bench
~ Lallana: his most energetic game in red shirt.
~ Origi: This boy will be a valuable asset for us for years to come…watch out.
Klopp: better header thank Origi’s, without the ball though :)
Against the fittest team in the league we managed a late push with half a team. That’s what impressed me.
Apart from the wonder goal Coutinho has been poor for most of the season. He shouldn’t be an automatic starter.
Given the long inury list, who else can step in?
Agreed with the ratings for the most part…
Except for
Moreno – willing but gave the ball away LOADs and often not under too much pressure – careless, or just not particularly good? Still not convinced and that’s a worry. Clyne looked way more assured going forwards and backwards.
Coutinho was very poor, that’s 4 or 5 games this season now. Looks like he needs a rest, to retrun with more zip?
Lallana – running a bit faster now. Just needs to add that tiny bit more precision and then there’ll be goals and assists galore.
Overall loads of effort. Lots of huffing and puffing but it’s going to take a helluvan effort to blow the house down with these lads.
But the fact we nullified Spurs when they demolished Citeh is a big plus. Let’s take that away above all else.
I think life will get easier for Phil when Bobby and Dan are back – personally I think we’ll see him coming in from the left with Bobby behind Dan. Thought Lallana did well today – looked goosed when he came off.
Going on that performance, who drops out if Sturridge, Benteke, and Firmino come in? Doesn’t seem like anyone made a case for being undroppable, though Origi made himself distinctly droppable.
Any takers? Would you even play all three?
On current form and in similar Christmas tree formation, Sturridge or Benteke would replace Origi, Firmino for Coitinho.
Not sure what is affecting Coutinho’s performance this season. Apart from moment of magic against Stoke he has not been able to make any difference (that he is expected to). Or just let him draw 2 players away to open up more space for our striker and other midfielders to utilise?
I am really the last person who recommends new signings, but seriously – what did BR do with 300m quid?
You cannot judge by the first game of a new manager alone, but if Can was one of the better players, that says a lot about the squad.
Even, if all these players evolve, I cannot see them in the top 5 at all. You surely need 1-2 CB’s, another RB or LB and definitely some really class midfielders.
Normally Klopp isn’t the guy signing big names, but you could really do with one Götze which might be available depending on his status in the Bayern squad (though he is currently injured). At best, only about a third of the squad are up to the challenge, including the missing strikers.
One more injury of some “key” player and LFC should be very content with a EL starter. I really supported Liverpool, but I am amazed about the price tag of this squad, really cannot believe that. Average at best, I’d say. (Not original, I know, but sadly true.)
Maybe I watched a different game. Maybe I still have Kloppitis. Maybe I think this Spurs side is better than it is. Maybe I was wrong to be so anxious about the absence of Studge, Bent, Firm, Danny, Hendo and co.
But I thought we were magnificent.
Obviously, not in creating chances or sticking the ball in the net. Obviously.
I didn’t expect goals given the lack of options upfront. We haven’t seen goals (plural) yet even with all our forwards fit (Villa game aside).
Yes, we’ve started a few games well this season (in terms of tempo, pressing, etc..) but we’ve never finished one well yet.
Until today.
Can, Sakho and Migs, were boss. I was doubtful about Can in the midfield, but supported by a very-steady Lucas, he looked the part, and some. Ran his guts out.
What more can one say about Sakho. Huge. Absolutely huge!
We outran Spurs, first team to do that, at the Lane. In Klopp’s first game. Over 116km covered.
Running doesn’t win games, but can you imagine what Klopp will get out of this wonderful team with a turbo-charged Hendo, Firm, Ings, etc.
Okay, enough said.
I agree, a lot of Donny Depressos on here today. Three days with the squad and they looked like the most well-organized and motivated team we’ve seen all year. Never expected us to put up 15 like it seems some on here did, we covered ground and kept a clean sheet. What more can we ask for this early? Thought Can looked better than he has all year. Everyone was a little in-and-out of the match, but we got a point against a team that hasn’t lost. Jurgen will get better and better each week as he learns about his players, and they learn about him… oh, and when over our first team comes back from injury. Good on the lads and good on Jurgen! Reds marching, YNWA!
Im with you Neutral – Its like having your eyes opened – Emperor’s New Clothes – £300m down the drain.
Skrtel & Moreno are going to give me high blood pressure. Both seem to be an accident waiting to happen. I’ve always liked Lallana but his stamina is a worry. He was everywhere first half, heading away corners, tackling, & outpacing two Tottenham defenders in a race for the ball, but he struggles to finish games. Hopefully Klopp likes him & he plays more regularly.
Spot on about Coutinho. I never thought he was or would be world class, then at times last season I thought he was on his way by adding consistency and as soon as he replaces Iniesta in Barcelona, and had better players around him, he’d go full blown superstar.
Nah. Not for me. More Luis Garcia than Pablo Aimar. Pretty much only Brazilians and LFC fans rate him so highly. Not even too many Brazilians actually – they’re crap and Coutinho isn’t a nailed on starter. So tired of him offering literally nothing for long, long periods, especially away from home. He’s been shite this season, no two ways about it. He was an abomination against Stoke before the worldy that won it and what’s he done since, apart from being offside against Bournemouth and that incredibly moronic red card against West Ham?
Then again we’ve Jurgen Klopp in charge. If anyone can get him to excel it’ll be him.
Why dont you talk with a little more respect for brazil, coutinho etc? Like LFC they are a team who have won it all, dominated everyone else, although at present are in hard times like us. Dont forget couts came to us when nobody would. Hes not playing at his best but he tries and is not a greedy sod like sterling. Lets give him some LFC love instead of shite this and shite that. If klopp doesnt deliver immediately you will be like shite klopp too…PFFFF
The underlining factor for me is, and I’m no Rodgers hater, is that he tried to build a team that played out from the back but these current back 5/6 don’t look too comfortable executing that tactic. Most chances we concede seem to be from indecision and lack of savvy at the back. This has to be the priority to resolve in the forthcoming windows, as much as I like Sakho, Skrytel etc..
Spot on. I was a BR fan, until finally accepting he had to go after the end of last season’s debacle, but that was always one of the bugbears with him and his reign. As fond as I am of Migs and co., for one who championed a possession based philosophy, BR’s back 5/6 were flawed in this regard.
one diff i noticed yesterday was that our back 4 and keeper kept it simple. theydidnt over expose themselves by passing back and forth among themselves.
they defended first befire doing fancy passes.
another mentality shift was that we were still trying to play and win tilll last kick of the ball, not just holding out for a draw, no yellow cards for time wasting, …
this team will improve week by week.
5 is very generous for Coutinho, very poor again. I think his inconsistency is a reminder of why he was available on the cheap from Inter after being hailed as a prodigy.
Coutinho strikes me as a player who feeds off other players. With Studge, Firm and Hendo in the team, I thnk we’ll see the best of him. He has been great this season, admittedly (and he underperforms away from Anflied too frequently), but his two assists against Villa were a glimpse of what he’s capable of.
He reminds me a little of Peter Beardsley in this regard. My memory may be fuzzy in this regard (and Beardo was a better finisher), but he also fed off others.
I still think Cout will be among our best performers come end of the season.
…he had NOT been great this season…
About right I’d say with the scores on the doors.
But and I’ll keep saying it, That Milner is captain over Lucas is a shocker for me.
This match shows how subjective these match ratings are:
LUCAS LEIVA:-
Daily Mail – 8.5 (effectively MOTM)
TAW – 7 (about right, I’d say)
Independent – 5 (with the comment that he was off the pace and would be lucky to keep his place).
It’s in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it?
.
‘I don’t think he’s a 10, you know. Prepared to have a chat about it whenever.’
He isn’t, you’re right. Should be one of the three in midfield. I’d even put him in a two. Firmino may end up as the 10.
Still don’t get Lallana- surely the basic thing about football is to play for 90 minutes. He never lasts beyond 70. Still Jurgen will sort that out
You have to feel sorry for klopp. Obviously some of our better players are currently injured but still, there is a distinct lack of quality and class especially for a group with a price tag so high. Coutinho still has it but he needs others around him. Sturridge is great but frail beyond belief. Milner is just average. In the end, BR has left klopp with an incohesive group of players who aren’t all that good individually. I believe klopp can get them playing cohesively but we will still lack that x-factor that you need to really stamp your authority on the league. Look at a team like west ham this year. Payet is absolute class and lanzini as well. If only FSG git rid of BR in the summer so that klopp could’ve had some say in what type of players to sign. But of course, again they thought they knew what they were doing. Now we find ourselves with an uphill battle with a bus full of bricks to pull behind us…at least until January. I am not trying to sound negative because I have huge faith in Klopp but just stating the obvious that he’s now expected to paint the cistine chapel with a box of crayons.
Well, Michaelangelo painted the Sistine chapel with sand, lime and some colors. None of the fancy artwork accessories of today. It was hard work and it took a long time. It was not the tools he had but the SKILL and TALENT of the artist that made it a work of art. Likewise with the kloppmeister. It will be his talent first and formost that shapes this team and makes it into champions. Never fear about what he to work with. klopp himself has said as much. THATS the different between a good coach like rodgers and a truly great one.
Gibbo, Emre was poor today mate, turns like the 722 Bus. Lucas was promising, enjoyed Sakho’s performance, thought Moreno was nonchalant at best. Not a ba result considering our first three centre forward choices were all injured. Good point. Danke Jürgen
Oh dear, what has happened to BELIEF.
My glass is definitely half full: clean sheet, running further, fighting longer, 4 international strikers/goal makers injured, no square pegs in round holes.
It’s easy to find some negatives, but there lies DOUBT.
JK wants the players to BELIEVE, we need to help them. Let JK handle the doubt, we need to SUPPORT.
Well said, AndyV.
This was a get-out-of jail card. Under BR we would have been hammered. Well done Klopp – I cried when I heard of the injuries and saw the bench. Have to say the £300m spent looks very poor and worrying. You may give Klopp a six year deal, coz we are 5 years rebuilding away from the other teams who have galvanized their squads with talent. I think the time is right to find the next set of young players – Sinclair up front, Texira mid. YNWA
Felt a lot like all our other matches this season except that the crowd wasn’t as mad when they missed a chance or gave it away. Without Sturridge in the team they just don’t look like they are going to score. Some amazing blocks at the back and saves by migs saved a point.