I HAD written this introduction in my head on about 70 and it was moody as anything. It talked about consistency and how it separates winners from everyone else. It also talked about how the real problem, more than consistency, was quality and that the team looked mid-table, and therefore it shouldn’t be a surprise when it played like it.
And then we won.
Much of the above is still relevant, of course. You won’t win enough games across a season playing like that, and we are unlikely to win trophies without some additions to the players who started today. But who wants to hear all that when you’ve just won away with the last kick of the game?
Our end looked brilliant after the winner. Made up for them. Hope they’re up all night for Benteke.
Simon Mignolet 7
Good save early and very assured throughout. Seems a bit happier within himself. Good punch-catch balance.
Jon Flanagan 5
I’ll start with the caveat that Palace seem to destroy whatever full backs we pick with their endless supply of rapid lads who can’t kick it in the goal. One great piece of defending when under pressure from Adebayor, but he really needs to improve his crossing if he wants to play right back for this team.
Alberto Moreno 5.5
Extra half point because he was a bit better than Flanno, but it feels a stretch to give him a 6. Needs to find another way to tackle aside from flying through the air as referees don’t like it and it keeps getting him in trouble. Just like he needs to find a new way of kicking a football that isn’t just putting your laces through it. Although he did nearly score from one of those to be fair.
Dejan Lovren 7
It looks a slightly uncomfortable partnership with Mamadou Sakho but individually they did well. Loved him at right back in a ‘never want to see it again’ type of way. That slide tackle to release himself down the wing was the highlight of the day. Took responsibility when we went to 10 as well.
Mamadou Sakho 6
Still a bit hesitant on occasion, and his judgement on when to play and when to clear isn’t perfect either. Although, generally, I’d favour a centre half whose instinct is to bring it down on his chest rather than just head everything. Anyway, dealt with crosses well.
Emre Can 8
Thought he was our best player. Aside from that fast break which he ran into their defender. Bad Emre. But apart from that he looked to run the game and won it back well, too. Pretty sure he’s going to be great now.
Jordan Henderson 6
Dunno really. Think he did ok. Did he? You should probably notice your captain a bit more, ideally. But you sense he’s just trying to get to the end of something, like a Monday in work in April 2014.
James Milner 4
What a wally. I’d have given him a second yellow for turning into their defender five seconds before.
Adam Lallana 5
Thought he started well but faded out of it pretty badly.
Roberto Firmino 6
What do you judge him on? A pathetic attempt to block their goal or the coolness in slotting away the equaliser? Because there really wasn’t much in between. Can’t argue with his record at the moment, though.
Divock Origi 6
A really willing runner and took some blows to the back, too. Reckon Scott Dann fouled every bit of him at one point. But still didn’t really see him scoring.
SUBS
Philippe Coutinho 5
Seemed to struggle to get into it. James Milner getting sent straight away obviously didn’t help.
Christian Benteke 6
Probably wished he’d had a couple of touches of the ball before getting the chance from the corner. After that it looked like it was going to be a load of what we’d seen before. But then he started running off the last man and crazy things happened. Who knew defenders didn’t like it?
Kolo Toure 6
Was a bit annoyed when he came on because it was a defender for an attacker at a time I thought we were more likely to score. But then Kolo did well and we won the game. Which is why Jürgen is in London on the big bucks and I’m sat in Betws-y-Coed drinking a latte.
I like betws y coed, good shout for a sunday
Mardy bastard thought we were poor and created nothing. Given two goals and I’ll say nowt about the pen because I’m getting stick elsewhere. Give them all a 4 apart from Lovren a 6.
pards can shove his mas-sive co-ock up his arse X2
shove his mas-sive cockX3
up his arse
Cicero ( Consolatio 45 BC)
And you know about his massive c*** because?
Not as big as Allardyce’s… Allegedly…
Possibly my favourite comment on TAW ever.
Was worried about Can after palace at home when he passed to the opposition in the box for the 83rd time at that point of this season. Great to see he’s developing into a lad who can play football. We’ve been due some luck. The transfer committee lizards are still stealing a living along with Ayre and all need chasing mind.
The less said about Milner the better. Would have been better signing Cabaye with his actual technique and snide which we could do with.
You’ve been harsh with the Flanagan/Moreno comparison IMO. He’s pure Riise carry on; a decent shot covers for no defensive brain at any point in our near future (I don’t hate him really; just not getting over his non-performance at Wembley anytime soon).
Indeed. I was banging on about signing Cabaye all summer. Would have been an upgrade on all our midfielders.
Fucking god damn Bolaise 11
What is it with him.
I’ll take substance over style to get us to the end of the season, a pen in the last minute when your down to ten, there the decisions that change seasons. Up the Reds!
Can, Lovren, Mig played well IMO.
Can is a natural leader now, with his drive.
Lovren deserves a mention for not giving up, for playing well at right back, and for pushing up better than the real full backs. That never say die spirit is contingent.
Mig..possibly one of the most confident/assuref display.
Hendo is diesppoonting. He would either pass back to defender (when we were chasing the game) or just whip in a cross when we had Origi alone up front surrounded by about 4 big guys.
Flenno..ok not match fit. But no excuse though for poor passes throughout.
Josh K, agree with your evaluations. You write more sense than most on here (esp the “mardy” Gibbons whose ratings are just idiotic). Can’t agree that Mig only deserved a 7, solid 8 for me. Kept us in it in the first half and certainly more in command of his box lately. Also distribution improved. Got to get over former prejudices before they are too ingrained.
Keith, probably I have been the loudest critic of Mig. But Klopp I am sure knows his stuff :) to continue to show faith with Mig. And Mig just needs to consistently show this form, and really no more complaint.
Being on MU!!!
Idiotic score as Migs obviously deserved 8.2!!
People getting stressed about ratings need to have a word.
now I am starting to stress about the Eight Point TWO score, Derek :). A bit like Olympic gymnastic scores. Cheers
Little Albi Moreno… Doing my head in. Playing like a maniac – and not the good sort. He’s becoming a liability with his kung fu tackles. Emre as Sean Rodgers says is a Rolls Royce of a player…and he’s still a kid.
Sorry. And he’s got great hair, I’d maybe like to see him experiment with a beard – not hipster, maybe mad/delinquent type
Actually I was expecting Klopp to turn Moreno into a new Riise, and don’t discount Klopp just yet on this.
(*I am not a coach here :) But I believe defending skills could be coached. The boy has the speed (and Klopp team need speedy full backs), work rate, and has won Europa league. He maybe going through a rough patch of form I hope, and maybe just need to be taken off spotlight (just like Ibe).
I still think he has future in Klopp team.
Joe Allen is going beyond Pirlo into some sort of swarthy Game of Thrones extra. I dig it. I’d also like to see Lallana trade in that Nivea look for something a bit more Viking beserker (not sure if he can actually grow a beard, though).
Emre Can always looks a bit Kardashian. I always half expect him to pucker his lips and flash the peace sign for a selfie. The hair is the Rolls Royce part. He accelerates like a diesel truck, though.
I’d also like to see Skrtel growing his mane out, while that Lovren goatee needs to go. Henderson could use a new do, too. I’d give Milner a mohawk and some sunglasses, like the guy who plays Thug #3 in an 80s low-budget thriller, but he’d still be boring…
Best hair ratings all day, no doubt!
Haha. A good one, Walter. Reds won and you (for once : ) didnt write something with BR reference.
D’you think Dejan’s working on the theory that if he looks a bit like Mats Hummels Klopp will think he is Mats Hummels and select him accordingly?
Hilarious
Got a song for Emre to hot chocolate :-
I believe in miracles
Emre Can
you sexy thing
I love this!! Hilarious! Get it going at the next home game?!
Ha ha, good one Liam.
I’ve eaten a decent Welsh rarebit in Betws-y-coed
Aye aye!
Lovren MOTM for me. I’m not commenting on Moreno anymore, blood pressure won’t stand it. I’ve never been a Henderson fan & recently he’s gone back to his first season – pass sideways or backwards, try to pass through the eye of a needle instead of actually having a shot. Pardew’s face on his post match interview has made my year, disliked the man since 1990 semi final when he was in the team of haircuts.
Harsh on Bentekkers, deserves a point for creating the penalty and another one for scoring it given the pressure he’s under.
Henderson is being forced into the team, his limited skillset continues to show him up. But that is just my opinion . We have a manager making these decisions who deserves the chance to do his job as he sees fit. So far, he prefers to select Hendo.
Hysterical comments section, well in all!
Moreno – does my head in too. I want intelligent footballers in the team and i think too many of ours are not (basically the whole back 4 plus reserve back 4).
Lovern – thought he did well second half and got better and better but there was a point in the first 20 when he got turned alarmingly easily by either Bolasie or Adbayor and generally i thought he looked shaky first 20.
Hendo – i love Hendo but i thought this was pretty awful really. He just didn’t take the game by the scruff of the neck in any shape or form, nor, more alarmingly, did he seem to try to do so.
Emre – thought he was similar to hendo in first half but he was imperious by the end.
Benteke looked good. just wished he’d put his left boot laces through that first chance.
Attacking Set piece’s = i would love to se a stat that tells me in one line how poor we have been on this fornt all season. it’s a fecking disgrace. the one upside of Milly going off was that someone else would get a run at corners, free kicks, but our corners were once again diabolical. I think this is more important than meaning we dont score as many goals from set pieces as others. I think it must be hugely dispiriting to the team and it heaps even more pressure on them in open play, where let’s be honest, we are often struggling.
All this said, Up Kloppo’s Reds.
agreed. Just one comment. Clyne, among our back 4 or back 8, is alright. He can probably walk into any other PL team as first choice.
I thought Milner’s corners were quite predictable. But after he got sent off, Hendo took one and it curled out…and I wished Milner were still there to take. We really need to utilise out corners and set pieces.