LIVERPOOL’S most comfortable league home performance of the season did everything Rob Gutmann told you it would. It announced one young talent, reaffirmed another and allowed the manager to experiment. Liverpool played as many shapes as they scored goals and this was the perfect springboard for a Thursday night that will be anything but comfortable.
Sheyi Ojo had exactly the sort of first half an 18-year-old quick talented winger should have. Some flashes of wonder, some demonstrations of weakness, but for the second he is unplayable, electric. He shakes it up and makes it fizz and the ball puts it on a plate for Daniel Sturridge. His finish simple and sumptuous. What proved to be the key goal in the game a peach.
Practically everything Sturridge touched was sumptuous. He was marvellous, by a mile the class act in the game.
What’s striking, what you forget, is how much he wants the ball, how hungry he is to be in possession. In a sense it could be misconstrued as a weakness — a striker who wants to be something else. In essence though he is the best player on the pitch and he wants to be the best player on the pitch. Would you tell him not to be?
The Sturridge issue is a brilliant problem for the Liverpool manager to have, especially this Liverpool manager.
Daniel Sturridge has had too many seasons where he hasn’t been the main man at any football club. Once or twice for good reason — there being a mainer man in Didier Drogba and Luis Suarez — every other season for bad reasons. Mis-management and injury.
His career had turned towards 2014-15 being that watershed and then it all went wrong one more time. It was his time. He was going to be the central force. He was mentally ready and then the worst thing that could happen did.
Now he looks to be almost the other side of that — putting games together properly. It’s down to Jürgen Klopp and his team to harness the player he was about to be into the squad as it is now and as it will be next season. Down to Klopp and his team to work him through the best years of his career.
This 90 minutes means something. It means quite a lot, especially after last week when he couldn’t properly get going. Clap clap, clap clap clap, clap clap clap clap Sturridge means something. It means quite a lot, very few players get it. It means you are the best player.
Meanwhile, Divock Origi got himself two goals. He looks a massive threat. Two or three times he doesn’t release the ball when he should but backing yourself is half the battle. Roberto Firmino only a bit part player. A cog in a functioning machine. What a lovely job being Liverpool manager all of a sudden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R7L7L_zEXU
All of this overlooks the impact of Alberto Moreno’s opener and his all-round performance. He impressed today. He appears to be improving. Kevin Stewart was able in centre midfield. An option.
Liverpool’s defending of set pieces hasn’t improved. Two conceded again in two games and it could have been more. Set up? Personnel? Pure luck? Opposition quality? Some combination of all the above perhaps.
Leave that for Monday morning. Let’s tonight enjoy the fact that no visit to Anfield is meaningless and enjoy what was on show. Seasons that stay alive are brilliant things. Matches that show a way marvellous things. Liverpool scoring four will never be out of fashion. Four celebrations wonderful.
Up the Reds. Up the one eye on Thursday Reds. Now I’ve got them both on Thursday. Let’s go Liverpool. No messing about.
Rob Gutman a latter day Oracle of Delphi
Jurgen Klopp is a gorgeous man. The glasses, the grin, the ‘I don’t give a fuckness’ about him. I can feel that I will soon feel the same way about him as I did about Rafa. I love Rafa. Loved him. But Klopp eh, what a fella. The lads who wear the Red shirts for Liverpool Football Club seem to believe in him, the Kop believes in him, the biased and corrupt London-media seem to have not yet got their knives out for him – it seems the Holy Trinity is being reincarnated once more
The Boss is boss. He’s gorgeous and he’s ours
Next year is our year
The Reds are coming up the hill
YNWA
Gnarly is my new favourite word in the English language. Gnarly Reds. Pure poetry. Can’t wait for Thursday night. Can’t Wait . Can’t wait to see how far we progress in the Europa League. Can’t wait to see where we finish in the table. Can’t wait for next season. Buzzing big time. YNWA
On the Stoke goal, looks like Kolo moved too soon and put Bojan onside (along with 2 or 3 other Potters) but a minor issue as the game turned. Alberto with a goal, first in a long time but only 1 or 2 mad challenges. Good game.
The rest of the team looked so fluid on offense, great stuff.
Bottle that for Thursday night. Dortmund rested a lot of players and got a draw with Schalke.
agree with your comments Neil about Ojo, he was struggling before the goal and then bang he produces a bit of magic…Klopp has a player here! Roll on Thursday,I can’t wait!! Pleased for Kolo to get a game, I was fortunate enough to meet him after the game and what a top bloke! Love the guy!!
I hope Kolo stays forever. He should be our squad centre half and Martin Skrtel should find a new club.
Think Kolo’s on less money than Skrtel as well so it’s a decision that’d keep FSG happy.
Winning easily and beating Stoke 4-1 at home happy days, I agree. I hope one day soon we become blasé about beating a mid table team who look like they’re not bothered. I hope that this sort of team will come to Anfield just hoping that they don’t look like mugs. I hope we have turned that corner and Southampton was just a blip. It feels different than all of the other false dawns.
Fantastic performance and result. Thought we would lose or draw today, after such a big European away match.
Brilliant from Origi, although Sturridge’s reaction to having a goal put on a plate for him by a young kid trying to breakthrough says a lot. Turns away from the lad and celebrates like he’s just beaten 3 men to score an amazing individual goal.
I’m really starting to dislike the guy, although he’s still one of our best players. Hoping that he’s just a disconsolate yet useful sub, this time next year, who can still get the odd important goal.
What an utterly ridiculous comment. He pointed to Ojo straight after he scored the goal and put his arm around him once the rest of the players had stopped celebrating. The mans just happy to be scoring after being injured for a fucking year. Give him a break.
It’s pretty tiresome man, the trolling. You want your point of view, I get it. But at least have an opinion based on what actually happened.
Do one mate. He celebrates all 4 goals with the lads, including his ‘rival’ for a starting place. For his goal the first thing he does is turn and point at Ojo, and then on the walk back to halfway he has a good chat about it
Stop being a twat
Great result I can’t wait for Thursday come on Dortmund we are waiting for you, we surely gonna teach you a lesson YNWA 4
Daniel sturridge is out best player. When he is injured and in top form he is one of the best strikers in the league. If he wants to be a bit arrogant he can. But in this game he wasn’t, he acknowledged Ojo – give the guy a break and get behind him. We need him.
What a terrible piece of writing. Over exaggerates everything ‘Practically everything Sturridge touched was sumptuous. He was marvellous, by a mile the class act in the game’ was ridiculous. Had good game much improved but the one that did it for me was ‘but for the second he is unplayable’ on Ojo……………Now either this lad think you readers are dumb an he’s a tabloid or he’s stupid enough to think you can be unplayable for a second………..Unplayable means you can’t play against you. Not can’t play against you for a split second……………..This is why I don’t like media full of idiots who know nothing about subject matter just want to sell. Word salespeople and not even good with their words.
Somewhat ironically, words fail me…