NEIL ATKINSON is joined by Adam Smith, Gareth Roberts and John Gibbons for this week’s free Monday podcast after a tumultuous weekend which saw Liverpool record a third league win on the bounce for the first time in over 12 months.
Having found themselves a goal and a man down to a side they’ve not beaten in the league away from home since 1997, how did Liverpool manage to claw themselves back into the game to record a win having come from behind with 10 men for the first time in the club’s entire history?
What could Liverpool seemingly do with 10 men that they couldn’t with 11?
How did James Milner’s red card alter the rhythm of the game and just how did Crystal Palace and their smarm-fest of a manager contrive to screw it up so badly?
And what is it with fairly simple rules not being understood by highly-paid professionals?
What a game.
What a win.
It’s The Anfield Wrap big show in the week when Liverpool said no.
John needs to look at all the stats, as of end Feb:
Name Team Assists Chances Created Goals Goals From Open Play Time Played Mins per Open Play Goal or Chance Created
Ozil ARS 18 115 5 5 2359 19.66
De Bruyne MCI 9 67 5 4 1629 22.94
Payet WHM 6 74 7 5 1869 23.66
Eriksen TOT 8 83 5 3 2132 24.79
Tadic SOT 4 51 6 5 1582 28.25
Lamela TOT 4 49 3 3 1685 32.40
Willian CHE 6 64 4 2 2200 33.33
Hazard CHE 3 54 1 1 1837 33.40
Roberto Firmino LIV 7 38 7 6 1543 35.07
Sánchez (Alexis) ARS 2 38 6 5 1626 37.81
Shaqiri STO 5 40 3 3 1699 39.51
Milner LIV 7 46 5 3 2026 41.35
Lukaku EVE 5 45 17 13 2440 42.07
Albrighton LEI 6 52 1 1 2301 43.42
Mahrez LEI 11 43 14 9 2271 43.67
Plus, Firmino’s tackles for midfielders are at the top of the league. He isn’t perfect but he’s pretty damn good.
Great stuff lads as normal. Really surprised about the doubts around Firmino. He has an uncommonly good first-touch and that is what enables him to achieve the numbers he does, in my opinion. I think he’s clearly a skilful player whose overall influence will grow but surely it’s welcome to have a player that can get goals and assists when he’s quiet as well. Opinions eh.
I’m also very surprised at the doubts over Firmino and i agree with Neil, i think he’s brilliant. His stats are fantastic and i think when he consistently has Sturridge and Coutinho around him and a top class midfielder, he will be absolutely fantastic. I have said this numerous times but i believe he will be on the shortlist for next years player of the year.
Excellent show. Good to see Sakho getting credit for that immense block. That’s the kind of thing that lifts your team mates.
Few points:
1. Neil beat me to it with ‘the Brazilian John Wark’. Wark got a season because his goals didn’t make up for his shortcomings. Firmino needs to improve or the same will happen to him. We need more than goals from that position. In the meantime, rotate him and Sturridge behind Origi/Benteke. Sturridge may be a better bet in the long term in the deeper position, but there’s no harm in having options.
2. Is Emre Can the new Emlyn Hughes?
3. Games of tennis: sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Palace were better at the tennis in the first half as you rightly noted.
4. Migs and Moreno had decent game, one could go further, Migs had an excellent game. Nonetheless, I’m with Adam: they do my head in.
5. Is Lovren’s goatee part of an elaborate ruse? Does he imagine that if he looks like Mats Hummels, Klopp will think he is Mats Hummels? Regardless, he’s in a four way battle with Emre Can, Kolo and Divok Origi for the most improved player under Klopp award. Think about that: four players who laboured under Rodgers have improved exponentially this season. It may have happened anyway but I’m not so sure.
6. Next season will be very interesting on a number of levels. You referenced the sloppy passing, something we didn’t see a lot of under Rodgers. Whatever his faults, you always had he sense that Brendan improved players technically, Klopp’s spirit and organizaton + Brendan’s technical work = good. Let’s hope we don’t see a fall off over the next couple of seasons as players focus less on technique and more on attitude.
7. Can’t shake off the feeling that the problem with Milner is one of diminishing physical returns: he thinks he’s quicker than he is. It would explain an awful lot.
8. Might be worth starting Benteke alongside Sturridge against the Mancs…..
Oh aye, and re the stats lads v watching a player, here’s my theory:
the stats lads saw that Firmino wins the ball back a lot. They didn’t see that he wins it back almost exclusively after losing it himself.
Actually liked Milner taking Cabaye out. It was a retribution as u said, don’t mess with us, we’re not a soft touch anymore. Attitude change right there. Noticeable that no Palace players ran over to berate him too.
Lovrens slidey and Migs save from Bolasie highlights of them game, goals apart obviously.
Don’t get the doubts on Firmino at all. You’re saying he doesn’t do enough, but when you watch our pressing game he is the integral part. Take him out of it and it doesn’t work because he is the only one who wins it back in the final third which leads to a chance and more often than not a goal or assist for him.
I love Coutinho but if you’re saying you’d rather have him doing all the fancy turns and touches than Firmino winning it back and putting the ball in the net then you’re mad.
Also lads can we get out of this stupid habit of saying whenever somebody has a good game it’s their best game in a red shirt.
There is no ‘stupid habit’. It’s a conversation about footie, mate.
I think Gibbo`s `purple patch` shout regarding Firmino is a bit ridiculous.
The guy scored over 30 goals in 3 Bundesliga seasons, is a full Brazil international with 4 goals – are all these purple patches as well? The guy has a pedigree and a track record of a proven goalscorer , he`s not some no-mark chancer on a purple patch.
I know it can be difficult to change initial opinions on players and I can relate to that but this is a bit ridiculous tbh and all that because he doesn`t look `busy` every single minute of football he plays for us.