I MISSED the first 15 minutes because six o’clock kick offs are daft. Left poor old IT Matt on the side of the street waiting for his ticket while I sent him pictures of traffic jams. Good at penalties though Jimmy Milner, isn’t he? Maybe he should imagine he is taking one when hitting a corner.
On the football, Liverpool created chances well and finished them badly. They defended well at times and recklessly at others. I also spend a lot of time marvelling at what time it was. “Only seven o’clock! Be home by nine here.”
Liverpool were in the next round of the Europa League by 8 o’clock. Somewhere hot next round please, lads. Bet Valencia is lovely in March.
Simon Mignolet 8
Out fast and smart when our defense completely disappeared second half. Great flying punch, too. Kept his head well first half when Lucas lost his.
Nathaniel Clyne 6
Seems to be shooting more. Maybe he’s bought himself in his fantasy football team. I like Nathaniel Clyne.
Alberto Moreno 4
Poor with his passing and generally looked like he didn’t want to be there. Might have been protesting against 6pm kick offs. Which I can get on board with.
Lucas Leiva 5
Rubbish back pass and looked like he was struggling with the role for the first time, as quite routine balls over the top seemed to catch him out. But recovered well, made some good tackles and won some good headers late on.
Mamadou Sakho 7
Did well defensively on set pieces. Helped us get a clean sheet. Thank you, lad.
Emre Can 5
Didn’t think it was a great day for Emre. Another one who might have had an eye on Sunday.
Jordan Henderson 6
Struggled with his passing at times but I thought he was much better with his running. Game summed up rather when he burst into the box brilliantly to tamely shot on goal. Felt a step in the right direction though.
James Milner 6
Some great bulldozing runs down the right. Seemed to be playing a mixture of football and British Bulldog. Scored a penalty, by all accounts.
Philippe Coutinho 7
Best outfield player. All shimmies and clever one twos. Some silly shots, but you can’t have it all.
Roberto Firmino 6
Quite-ish game for the other Brazilian, but showed some good link-up play with his mate. Nice having another fella in the box.
Daniel Sturridge 6
It’s funny because you expect his all-round game to be rusty, but his finishing to be spot on, yet it is the opposite at the moment. Or maybe he is saving the goals for Sunday. Let’s go with that one.
SUBS
Divock Origi 6
Looked bright when he came on, but faded rather. Held it up well.
Joao Teixeira 5
Looks a fair way off, really. Not sure he offers enough.
~ Mig played well. Full credit to him WHEN due. If he continues like tonight in a consistent way, no complaints really.
~ our front three will continue to improve as they continue to develop understanding among themselves. Really pleased with their movement.
~ Can and Hendo seem to be our weakest link for now. didn’t manage the game last 15 mins effectively (think: Didi the Kaiser). Didn’t provide enough cover for back 4. Didn’t contribute enough going forward. just hope these two improve by a big margin in Sunday.
Thought Henderson had a nothing game, missed a sitter, then went back to having a nothing game. The rumour mill saying he’ll have to play half-crocked for the rest of his days has me worried for him and us.
Good shout on the Milner pen/corner paradox. His crosses from open play that he can whip in are decent though so I don’t know. He’s probably just an odd bod like most every other player we’ve got on the books. Think Clyne is the only conventionally decent footballer we’ve had in years; it’s like it’s a prerequisite that all Liverpool players whether they’re playing well or not have to be weirdos.
Hoping our finishing boots were packed away for Wembley. As long as Mignolet’s not saving his daftness for then as well we could have a great day.
The worst thing about that (apart from the poor lad’s career of course) is that it might prove the purple twat right.
Crossed my mind that but is the injury anything to do with his “gait”?
If its his heel, I’d venture yes.
I think plantar fascitis is pretty common in general, isn’t it? It happens a lot to fat people too…. and they never run for anything.
I was enjoying the footie up the field. Smart running by Milner, Coutinho, Firmino and Studge with really crisp passing. Lovely. But then they started with the party tricks and we weren’t as effective. Understandable if we’d been 4-0 up but at 1-0 it was hard to fathom.
We’ll need to be a whole lot more clinical on Sunday if we’re to win.
Our corners baffle me. Since when did holding two arms up and floating a gentle one up for the opposition keeper to grab become ‘a corner’? Liverpool in the 70S/80s at least gave up the pretence; they figured, we’re so busy with sweatboxes, 5-a-sides and being on the lash that we can’t even be arsed. They mostly just took short ones and pretended it was a normal attack but with a few more big fellahs around.
If we’re going to resort to all these short or floating corners which seem to fail every time, every now and then we may as well try something out of the box like putting 6 players on their keeper or hoisting one of our guys up for a flick on (or far post header) like they do in rugby line-outs to catch the ball.
Otherwise (as RobF mentioned) maybe we should pack it in and just play it short (unless we get a decent set piece taker).
Our stock corner should be the near post flick in my view. Could go anywhere, which means that not all re likely to end in the keeper’s hands or on a defender’s head.
Thought Milner was MotM, his shite corners aside. Ran himself stupid, which was pretty much what was needed against dogged German opposition.
The British Bulldog vs Dogged German opposition
“Lucas Leiva 5
Rubbish back pass and looked like he was struggling with the role for the first time, as quite routine balls over the top seemed to catch him out. But recovered well, made some good tackles and won some good headers late on.”
If this shite continues, I will definitely unsubscribe. This kind of bullshit ‘review’ has to stop.
Unsubscribe then. We don’t do threats, mate. Everyone’s going to keep on doing what they do and we’re not going to change because you’re upset that John’s rating doesn’t match yours for Lucas.
Instead of taking stock of a customer comment, you sought a confrontation over a review that can’t withstand the scrutiny of most reasonable Reds. Honestly, ask ten of you friends, and see if anyone of them would agree with this statement: ” looked like he was struggling with the role for the first time”. Once you’ve done that, ask them whether Sakho deserves a 7.
I can take John’s biased reviews. Your attitude though, is a while different thing altogether.
I get post-game frustration, but for the life of me I don’t get why someone would come on here and lambast the author, who took time out of his busy life to offer his opinion here. Or why someone else would come on here and lambast the moderator for doing what was screaming out to be done. My head is still shaking. Can you imagine if we lost?
Thanks John for taking the time to put this write-up together (how you keep it fresh is a labour of love, or something), and kudos to the moderator for putting up with such crap. My head is still shaking.
100% spot on.
Ted … ” you sought a confrontation over a review”
Read the original post again and tell me whose seeking a confrontation?
*who’s
Cheers Dale! I enjoy doing them. Think its a bit mad how angry people get over a difference of opinion, but hey ho.
Funny thing was the first message I got after the game was “If you give Lucas more than a 4 i’m unsubscribing” and I thought “he wasn’t that bad”!
I guess you just have to call it as you see it and hope for the best!
Unsubscribe, gobshite.
Your bullshit has to stop.
Do you know me? It’s called customer feedback. Are you the seller of the service? You’re not. Mind your knitting.
The Moreno marks are closer to mine these days, think the lad is going to get himself sent off if he carries on chasing after opposition players looking for revenge following a challenge. Two games at home in a row he’s gone looking to kick someone.
PS. Hope you enjoyed your pie John, homebaked have tweeted a picture of their post match queue.
Had a scone mate, but was very nice!
Big Div impressed me in his cameo,
Raw power & pace combined with a deft touch bodes well for the lad in the future,
Delighted Klopp is blooding him this season,
I thought everyone put a decent shift in and we are in the hat for the next round,
Up the Reds.
I thought lucas was boss! Moreno worries me every game – forgets to defend and seems a red card waiting to happen. Would be interesting to see him line up left mid, flanno behind him. Emre and coutinho centre, milner on the right and bobby and studge as an out and out front two. Origi ibe and benteke as options off the bench.
Maybe?
Pelligrini will be round to his GP for Benzodiazepines. He won’t sleep a wink after watching that
“Thank you, lad” :D
Sakho finishes every sentence with Lad doesn’t he?
Can we change the “Sakho, Sakho” chant to “Lad,” Lad”?
Anyone who has a problem with these player ratings needs to go to their medicine cabinet and take a chill pill.
I think they’re brilliant. Every one I’ve read there has been a gem in there. Today’s goes to:
On Clyne “Maybe he’s bought himself in his fantasy football team.”
Keep doing them. They always make me want to be more clever with my own writing.
spot on, Neil. I always have a good laugh from some very unique sense of footballhumour. and Clyne one is top for today.
It really is the best when these words came from serious and committed writers who are fellow Reds fans/family. cheers
What is it with these “Angry from Mayfair” types bitching about Gibbo’s player reviews? Keep them up John, your ratings, taken in the context I believe you mean them to be are always what I enjoy after a game. Take no notice of these tedious plonkers, thanks again.
Anyone else fed up of us trying short sharp passes and little lay offs around the box only for it to break down due to congestion in the area and poor touches?
Handful of times last night where a bit of greed and trusting yourself either with a first time effort, or trying to burst through rather than another lay off might have been worth a try. Might be just me though.
I thought Origi looked sharp, I like him, found Coutinho frustrating and thought Lucas was spot on.
5th game we’ve managed to get down from Carlisle for this season and on balance probably the best I’ve seen the reds play since a midweek game against Tottenham in 2010 when we won 2-0 and Aquilani was world class and Phillipe Degen played right week. So that was nice.
I am a paid-up subscriber. This is a comments’ section.
I am expressing my reaction to something posted on this site.
I am free to continue subscribing or to cancel my subscription.
The author is free to continue and he is free to change his “player ratings and short commentaries”.
To call what I posted a “threat” is to abuse the English language. The author of these “ratings” tends to do so on a regular basis, along with abusing logic. C’est la vie.
Sound. Read it again. You’re unsubscribing unless we change, you say. No one is changing. The ratings will continue to be written by John. You’ll moan if Lucas doesn’t get a 10. The world keeps spinning. That’s life indeed.
Nice job, Gibbo! As usual, I agree with most of the ratings. However …
I did think Lucas was excellent except for that brain fart of a back pass. Loved his aggressive and clinical tackles. A solid 7 for me.
I also thought Firmino looked lovely on the ball. That lad could be an absolute gem with the right players and movements around him on a consistent basis. In this game there wasn’t much missing, except for the mere details that are goals and assists. Would definitely deserve an 8 here if only a couple of team mates could’ve aimed their shooting. So an 8 it is in my generous opinion.
Only watched the 2nd half and thought Firmino was poor tbh.
Gave the ball away almost every time he had it.
Hallmark of the classiest players we’ve had is the impeccable distribution to another shirt in red – and I’m not talking sideways or back passes but intelligent balls.
Gerrard was the best we’ve had in recent times but Patrik Berger and Jari Litmanen never gave the ball away.
just cant help the lucas bashing watch the game again steve