IT’S 10 minutes gone and only a crossbar and a tremendous piece of defending mean Liverpool aren’t deservedly 0-2 ahead. The extent to which Liverpool show themselves superior in the first 10 minutes of the game is quite remarkable. Liverpool away from home are vastly superior to the competition.
This dominance continues, albeit with fewer clear-cut chances for The Reds. It continues right up until 20 or so minutes after Jordon Ibe sweetly gave Liverpool the lead.
Either the Reds scared the life out of Rubin in both anticipation and as a result of their performance in Russia or the Kazan manager decided to try to make it a 20-minute game.
The truth is probably a bit of both as truths so often prove themselves to be. Liverpool were able to dominate both possession and territory by virtue of being better at football but Rubin’s reserves were being kept for a final flurry.
When it came, the final flurry was really rather pathetic. If you have to spend too much of the game shuttling across, closing down, doing all the concentrating, you find it hard to rally.
The concentrating is the key thing. Liverpool need to get better at draining mental reserves, penning in, turning round, finding space around the edges of penalty areas in order to find space in the centre of penalty areas. The final third can be camped in. The final ball can be exquisite torture.
It’s a strong Liverpool side. Having taken them all all that way a strong side makes sense.
We appear to be playing something approximating 4-2-2-1-Milner. Where Milner goes dictates the shape. Which somewhat shows the ever increasing futility of writing the shape down numerically.
The man who shuns gloves in sub-zero training settled wide left, often available for one more, often just lacking. Everyone shows their strengths and weaknesses like this while being better than their opponents.
Emre Can so often doing the daft thing before the good thing, the good thing before the daft thing. A great tackle after giving it away cheaply. A sublime first touch on the edge of the area taking players out of the game, a ridiculous second standing on the ball.
10 – Liverpool haven’t lost an away European game (incl. qualifiers) they’ve scored in since Apr 2010, a run of 10 games (W7 D3). Imperious.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 5, 2015
Firmino and Ibe linked beautifully for the goal, showing what makes them exciting footballers for Liverpool. Ibe streaking clear, a white line, direct, exuberant, certain. His accurate finish settling the issue. Firmino’s weight of touch — following a sublime nutmeg and pass when Milner hit the bar — is drop dead gorgeous. A simple pass to make you squeak. Do that. Do more of that.
https://twitter.com/IndigoLFC/status/662357689440317440
It’s a night that perhaps should have belonged to more youngsters but does belong to Jordon. Jordon who has been slapped by his manager, gone forehead to forehead with his manager, dropped to his knees in front of his manager and now been singled out and hugged by his manager, a 40-something man seemingly determined that this should be the most fun he has ever had.
(Possibly, hopefully, a 40-something man determined this is the most fun we ever have).
Jordon Ibe is, along with the 200 who travelled, Liverpool’s hero. Jordon Ibe is our favourite. Let it all, the dominance, the exuberance, the certainty happen again.
Let Jordon be our favourite again.
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Liverpool pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda-Photo
Get in !!! Great performance . Work rate superb & tactically very very good.
Once the goals come more freely we will be deadly ! #YNWA
“dropped to his knees in front of his manager…”
Steady!
“You say ‘steady’ again, you’ll be on the first plane back!”
Just thought then: who do we reckon gets dropped for Henderson when he gets back? You’d think it’s between Can and Milner and that the latter gets the nod because he’s vice captain and the senior pro. I’d personally bounce the pair of them and have Hendo/Allen/Lucas in there like the 5-0 at Spurs two years ago. Plus Can and Milner are good utility players who can come on and fill in different positions off the bench.
Either way I’m excited to see the captain back. Outside Klopp’s actual big Dortmund players, you’d struggle think of a more Kloppish player around the last few years than Henderson. The athleticism obviously, but his quick releases and underrated chance creation as well.
Votes in for TAW…..great instant reports like tonight….thanks neil!
Great article, Neil. Good take on Milner.
“dropped to his knees in front of his manager”
Watching the Chelsea game again (can’t remember doing that before), Jordan dropping to his knees on the sideline after the goal is my best moment from that game full of good moments.
Well I can’t say I enjoyed it really as that one goal margin was nagging at me, surely someone would do something silly or they’d have one incisive moment and score but no they held on.
When Hendo and Sturridge get back they’ll add some gloss to what is still a somewhat workmanlike team, Milner is never going to quicken the pulse esp with Coutinho rested (rightly). The final ball continues to be a bit of a chore – you can see what they want to do but players still getting used to each other are at cross purposes a bit too often.
Ibe and Clyne are starting to look like a partnership worth persisting with. Firmino is quick and economical with the ball but you fancy Sturidge is the man he needs in front of him.
Oh yeah – corners, Seriously lads fix it!
I am seriously starting to think its a modern day tactic – and its not just us who can’t put a corner into the mixer.
Its like a new age version of the short corner – hit the first man and look to retrieve the second ball in more open play and better angles.
It’s all I have got for why professional players constantly never clear the first man.
Figured Ibe would catch his first goal in the Europa. He’s between Sterling and Shelvey level. Basically just right for us and too talented to not be a good Liverpool player. Made up for him and all the away lids who have essentially had to travel to Mars midweek.
As an aside, anyone ever seen a pitch as mad as theirs? Enormous with loads of space everywhere but then the actual turf was like a farmer’s field.
Have we ever had 2 more athletic full backs than Clyne and Moreno? Its still sinking in.
It’s a sobering thought that, if Brendan Rodgers had had his druthers, Lucas, Sakho and Moreno would be playing for another club right now…
and Can will be in CB, Firmino…god knows where
An even more sobering thought. If Rodgers had his druthers, he’d be playing with Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling, Coutinho, Henderson, and Gerrard.
Or at the very least, Sakho wouldn’t have missed 40 games to injury, Lucas wouldn’t have missed 44 games, and Flanagan wouldn’t have missed the entirety of last season.
Plus, I don’t think anyone would be crying if Ryan Bertrand was our LB, considering he made PFA Team of the Year for a reason.
(I am not BR hater, and I thought 3~2 win against Villa was turning around in performance), but it’s time.to get over BR, old.boy…:)
he has had his 3 seasons and a bit…
Klopp is World Class manager, lets admit it. Instead of focusing on the players that are not available, he focuses on the “tools” that are available to him.
and the result and performance is getting better each match. as a fan, I could not ask for more.
cheers.
The team was right tonight in my opinion. Qualify then rest. Don’t sacrifice games and try and make it up towards the end. Doesn’t work. We had to keep the momentum and we’ve done it. If the players have the momentum buzz as much as I’ve got it we’ll beat the world never mind, Palace. I think he made the right choice whatever.
It’s unbelievable how good we’re looking. I’m finding it hard not to get carried away. We say the big test is Palace but let’s say we beat them. We go into the international break on a 4 game winning run and a real high. What happens on the other side will tell me a lot. As we know, it’s normally an end to the run and a few injuries to boot. I just can’t see it happening though under Klopp although it’s City first up.
There are positives about every player tonight. Most exciting is our second string players are impressing as much as first team choices. That’s brilliant for the squad. It’s all so simple too. It turns out all you need to do to get the best out of a player is slap him round the face a few times then give him a few hugs. One thing I wasn’t keen on tonight was Klopp’s tracksuit. Every morning I pass the main pharmacy and all the bag heads are waiting for it to open so they can get their meth. Seriously, Klopp wouldn’t have looked out of place there tonight. He looked so dashing in both the black suit and tracksuit. I’ve wondered whether he’s got something in his contract about modelling the Liverpool attire from the club shop. He seems to be a different LFC branded item of clothing everytime I see him. But if the only fault I can find was his tracksuit then it shows how far we’ve come.
I was pleased to see John score Allen highly. Get it and just pass it 20 yards forward to feet. It doesn’t look that impressive but it puts us on the front foot.
Can’t wait for Sunday now. It’s nearly upon us too. I don’t want this to end. I wanna see WWWW before the break. These are the early days of what is going to be the most amazing journey and I’ve seen enough to have any doubts about where this is going.
I thought the grey track suits last night looked really washed out and gloomy.(maybe it was to be in the same set as white jersey?). the red and black ones at least look decent.
since Ian Ayer reads fans’ comments, hope the club donate all these grey stuff to charity and stick with Reds…:)
~~in all honestly even if Klopp shows up in shorts and t-shirt I won’t care as long as we get the results.
Ha yeah, if he keeps getting us wins he could turn up in a pair of dungarees for all I care. I liked the all black tracksuit he’s worn a few times as opposed to the one that had red arms. I’d wear one of them myself at the kids football.
I want to get back to the days of WWWWWWWWWWW.
As in WWWWLLWWDWDWWWWWWWWWWWLDW.
Much more of this buoyancy and we’ll have top players scrambling to join us. I’d like to see Markovic come back: I reckon he was shabbily handled – a fine player there if used properly.
I don’t know what it is but I love it.I don’t know what it is but I want it to stay
interesting to see Milner in a free role last night. (or was he suppose to stay at the left side only, but didn’t follow instruction?)
anyway, he played better in that 60 mins than previous few games.
just thinking out loud : we have had Lucas~Can~Milner or Allen~Can~Milner combinations under Klopp. I am sure Lucas~Allen~Milner combination would work well too.
If (when?) we qualify you can bet the mortgage on us drawing Borussia Dortmund at some point.
It just has to happen….and almost certainly a return to Signal Iduna Park after us conquering Schalke in the round before.
It’s just written that way…isn’t it?
I love the vine in this article of Klopp and Ibe.
It’s my favourite moment of last night. More so than the goal. When Klopp hugged Ibe it nearly brought a tear to my seeing how made up Ibe was. Obviously, he’s young and cool so tried to hide his delight but I know enough about body language to know he was brimming with pride and who can blame him. I think I’d quite like a hug of Klopp myself. Ibe has had a difficult time with all the pressure we placed on him when Sterling left and it didn’t quite work out for him. As we were all losing it he became a bit of a scapegoat for us. It’s fantastic to see him enjoying his football. I was going to add ‘and see him loving doing well for LFC’ but such is the personality of Klopp I think he’s proud to be doing well for Klopp as much as us.
It’s a bit tight saying this but I used to think – will there be a time, 20 years after the event, when we look at Rodgers in the same way as say, Rafa or Kenny or perhaps not so much but Shankly and Paisley. I could never really imagine it happening regardless of how much success he brought us. I already look at Klopp in that way. There’s no doubt in my mind that another legend is being created. In 40 years if we’re still here we’ll be telling our great grandkids about Klopp in the same way we were told stories of Shankly. We’re privileged to be in these times.
I think guessing how history will judge Jurgen Klopp @ LFC after 3 weeks and 6 games is a tad premature.
Its like the current revisionary view that 2013/14 didnt happen, and if it did then it was nothing to do with Rodgers. Hopefully in time, we’ll look back at Rodgers tenure as batshit crazy good fun followed by frustration – but never one without the other.
Think what you like mate, not bothered. I know how I feel and couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of my views. Cheers