LIVERPOOL won and played well.
Liverpool opened the scoring in the 36th minute. Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 77th minute. Two nils don’t get any more regulation and we’ve forgotten what they feel like. It is what you are supposed to want.
Further, there is a feeling growing that we can’t expect Liverpool to play at 100 miles an hour every week and that they need to be able to make changes, however the manager chooses to next season.
Next season, next season, next season. It’s all we think about during games like this. Joe Allen and next season. Jordon Ibe and next season. What will come next season, what will be different, who will be different.
What makes this conversation difficult is that it’s hard to work out if Liverpool did the professional job against a decent side eager for all three points or if Liverpool and Watford played out a game where there was a bit more bucket and spade than there would be in November about proceedings. It was a hot day and while hot days are the same for both sides, it reduces the sort of bustle Liverpool have at times struggled to cope with this season. And further, Watford are a side likely to change their manager, who have nothing left to play for, who have achieved what they set out to achieve.
It’s been the same with Stoke, Bournemouth and Swansea, all in different ways. What exactly is it that we are seeing? What are we learning? Swansea got amongst the Reds last week in exactly the same way that Watford got amongst them back in December and have since gone and beaten West Ham. Bournemouth switched on when it was too late. Stoke were conceding goals all over the place. In a league season where everyone has fancied it and gone at 100 miles an hour and when a next season beckons with more of the same, what exactly can we – and more importantly our manager and his staff – take from all this?
What suggests it may be a professional job with a regulation scoreline is that Simon Mignolet had to do a fair bit. One save in particular stood out at 1-0. Watford were dangerous in flourishes and could have scored a couple. They played their game; Igalho and Deeney were threatening without quite being as terrifying as they were at Vicarage Road.
Liverpool missed chances as well, or missed chances to set up clear-cut chances. The wrong ball at the wrong time, three touches when two will do. Watford were opened up time and again and Liverpool’s two could have been four or five — what looks like regulation then becomes a rout and everyone has a lovely party in the sunshine.
Joe Allen managed that anyway first half. He was everywhere and whatever happens next season it has, at times, been an absolute joy to watch him this.
For reasons of the aforementioned 100 miles an hour we have had to play against so often, he’d still not be this correspondent’s, nor I’m 99 per cent sure Jürgen Klopp’s, first choice for league games next season, but he has been the Liverpool midfielder I have most enjoyed watching in 2016. His awareness, his touch and the information on his passes is brilliant to see. He passes the ball in a way which makes the decision for the recipient. There’s such intelligence to his play.
Kevin Stewart ended the game strongly, Christian Benteke’s performance was a credit to both himself and his manager — only his sharpness was lacking. Everything else was there. He may well still have a part to play this season, but next season will not be his as Liverpool’s number nine.
Because people like me write things like this, because you like to read and listen and talk about the game, because we love football so much, we like to learn things constantly (so often they number five), we like to be able to say this tells us that and this points at the other. We have to shrug our shoulders occasionally and say that we had a nice day sitting outside, we enjoyed watching the game, we enjoyed seeing our friends. We took the chance to chat about next season and next week and things that don’t even pertain to football.
The regulation 2-0. The end of season game. A good day. Liverpool won and played well.
Rafa has gone from starting the season managing Real Madrid, to ending the season managing a team that will next year be playing MK Dons – whilst the side he was sacked from, Real Madrid, most probably win the UEFA Champions League
#FACT
Jimbob has gone from starting the season managing to sound shite, to ending the season managing to sound shite.
#Consistent
Who the fuck even are you lad?
Whilst completely irrelevant it’s also factually incorrect unless Newcastle go down 2 leagues
#FACT
Jimbob (aka Chris) started out on this forum a few weeks ago pretending to be a Red but gave himself away as a Bitter after the derby. What a tosser #FACT.
Makes sense. Let the sad twat say what he wants then seeing as he has to come on here as his own club fans have probably turned on him too.
Ignore the ignorant
And this is a comment on the article, how?
Very philosophical, Neil.
Really want Benteke to do well for us. But it seems he may not be the right fit after all. Klopp may just stick to Sturridge, Origi, Ings and Bobby for next year.
Should offload him for 25mil.
If he gets rid of Benteke & Ballo then he’s definitely going to bringing in another body at least for up top,
The glut of fixtures he faced early doors in his Liverpool career will have left an imprint & im sure his attitude to squad size may well have altered somewhat.
Whilst the points made – about the earnestness or lack of it on the part of Bournemouth MAY be making us look better than we may really be -are probably valid, I don’t really care, to be honest. The same be said about the Euro matches against Manchestet United, Dortmund, Villareal, because it’s a generally derided competition. But by God, the wins were thrilling. And even if we lose the final and finish 8th, I don’t see how we can have any regrets about the departure of Brendan Rodgers. In fact, i wouldn’t change Klopp for ANY OTHER MANAGER IN
THE GAME!!
Not even Rafa Benitez.
Who’s Brendan Rogers?
(Cue Walter to come in and spout tripe)
I never eat tripe. And showing respect to Rodgers remains the right thing to do. I wouldn’t trade Klopp for Guardiola, but I can’t imagine that Klopp would be thrilled to hear supporters trashing his predecessor.
Key to being a good team is to win many games that are easily forgotten…this is one of them and long may that continue into the next year.
Allen has caught a lot of hell over the years but I’ve always liked him as a player, and it seemed I was very much in the minority. Now he has one foot out the door and many are realizing what a valuable player he is. He makes us better in nearly every game he plays.
Skrtel and Mignolet looked quiet didn’t they? Oh so bloody quiet…
Get rid of both ASAP. Klopp can have Allen, Lallana and Milner work their bollocks off pressing next season but he still needs a real goalie buying for him if he wants to do a proper league season next year. Unless Suarez gets a bang on the head and wakes up wanting to be back at Liverpool. We’d still probably find a way to finish 2nd.
Decent summing up I reckon, can’t argue with it (don’t want to anyway, with a shrug of the shoulders).
I think it’s a shrug of the shoulders season, a gnawing acceptance of where we’ve been led. Selling the League Cup to the blue Mancs for £49M wasn’t bad, and a European trophy in Klopp’s first season would be class!
I’m starting to think a great Anfield word will firmly establish itself in the months ahead – acuity. I feel it’s a Klopp word, which is now being embedded into L4, and why Benteke doesn’t fit, and certainly hope that Joe Allen does. Can’t blame him for wanting to play regularly, good luck to him.
Perhaps I’m doing Benteke a disservice, but has he ever been that razor sharp striker whose instinct takes your breath away? I don’t think so. We’ve had some of those moments this season clearly, and when something like a true Klopp team is playing with a full pre-season behind it (notwithstanding the Euro’s), what then??
I think Benteke is getting a load of shit but hasnt played that much since return from his injury.Give the lad some time , he does brilliantly for me flicking and having one-twos with the incoming attackers, His aerial strength itself is singular in the league and a reason enough to keep him. He is not lazy just adapting I think.
Benteke will prove people wrong if given enough time , just like Lovren did.