THAT should probably be all over bar the shouting. Liverpool were dreadful for the first hour of that game and they were poor for the last half an hour, but they remain in the tie.
Had you offered Claude Puel and his side a one goal lead before a ball was kicked, I bet you they’d have taken it. But I reckon Puel and his side will be kicking themselves now. That wasn’t their only chance but, my lord, it could well be their best. Now they have two weeks worrying about Anfield. Telling themselves it will all be alright. Convincing themselves they can do it again. Maybe they can. But a two or three goal deficit would be better and would probably be deserved.
Liverpool need to be kicked too, kicked into gear. This isn’t the first Liverpool side to toil in around Christmas and into January with an interest in the title. The 2008-09 side managed to be unbeaten but stopped winning before surging as winter turned to spring. But it ultimately cost them. Liverpool have soldiered towards getting the points on the board — 13 from 15 since Middlesbrough, but the last three games are now winless and improvements need to come by Sunday afternoon. Old Trafford is no barrel of laughs.
It was interesting how quickly the mind turned to Old Trafford. The final whistle went and suddenly there was only Old Trafford. It was a good game this evening, a good advert for an outmoded two-legged semi-final but there really is only one game in town and it kicks off at 4pm on Sunday.
I hope Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip and Philippe Coutinho all start. Absence makes the heart grow fonder with your better footballers, but the value of all three was writ large tonight. There has been, at times this season, a school of thought which is that, barring the bigger games, almost anyone can do what Henderson has spent much of this season doing for Liverpool. Since going off against Manchester City it would appear that almost no-one can.
Both Emre Can and Lucas Leiva were poor tonight, Can more infuriatingly so. Lucas looked like the footballer he pretty much is since the injuries; a man for the League Cup at most and for the last 20 at best. Moral and guidance in abundance, turning round less so. But watching Can simply kills. Last season’s dominant Liverpudlian midfielder suddenly looks so ponderous in possession; the football a surprise to him, a ticking time bomb he just can’t shift. At his best he makes the game look so easy. On evenings like this one he makes it look like some oblique nonsense on The Crystal Maze — utterly confused, people shouting at him, Richard O’Brien playing the harmonica.
We’ll spend the season being impressed and aghast at Ragnar Klavan. He’ll be the flawed footballer he is; he’ll be Estonia’s finest. For the goal it’s easy to say Nathaniel Clyne should go with Nathan Redmond. But Clyne plays for Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool where your footballers are told to be on the front foot. He’s expecting the ball to be cleared and then he needs to contest one phase of play later. Instead, one phase of play later the ball is in the back of the net.
Coutinho came on and Liverpool immediately passed to him too much. Needs watching this. You can be the heartbeat of a team and not need to be looked for every single time. At least he could get on the ball. Liverpool spent too much of the game going too long, Daniel Sturridge offering nothing as an outball, getting his start and looking for all the world like the best substitute in the country. Suspect that’s his role on Sunday, especially if between now and then we manage to clone Adam Lallana. It’s where I’d be putting my energies were I Liverpool’s coaching staff.
Southampton’s legs fell off by 70. It was an example of Liverpool’s power that the better side were losing centre mids to cramp, but they should have been out of sight. Redmond impressed hugely for them, a reminder of the complexities of transfers. Watching him made me wish he was Sadio Mane’s back-up option for the next month. Signed from Norwich in the summer to replace Mane for about £10million, he showed constant threat and willingness. His talent didn’t flower for Norwich as might have been expected and it is through Puel giving him a run of games he has grown to look as dangerous as he does. Yet both of these sentences are true: he’s a player I wish Liverpool had signed. He wouldn’t be the player he is now had he signed for Liverpool.
Southampton will have to work as hard again to make their way to the final of this tournament. They are capable of that, make no mistake about it. But Liverpool shouldn’t be this poor again. And can’t be this poor on Sunday. Liverpool have three league games in January remaining. These three should be the focus, the last three games in all competitions can be another of these blips Liverpool have shown capable of putting behind them.
Up the blipping Reds. The lucky Reds. Grit your teeth, boys. Strain your sinews. Old Trafford Sunday and it is the only game that matters. Three points.
Southampton 1 Liverpool 0: Match Ratings
Southampton 1 Liverpool 0: The Pink
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No chance Neil we are on the down hill slope sadly mate
Love the Crystal Maze line. Depressingly apt though
Shitting myself for Sunday, lads.
Anyone reckon there’s any chance of us actually going out and buying someone this window?
Feel like it’s vital. The lads look like they’re running out of steam right now.
Hi Neil, nice write up. Disappointing evening. Looking at the glass half-full, perhaps the Reds were conserving their energy for Sunday? Their minds certainly didn’t seem focused.
Can needs to be benched for a bit and give the other kids a chance. Klopp’s last 10 minute substitution tactics aren’t making sense to me, but I don’t know more about the game than him.
What surprised me is that there was a 10 day rest for majority of the players, barring some guest appearances for the pub match against Plymouth. So what gives then? Catching up on their extracurricular activities with their significant others??
None of these players (barring Karius) know how to shoot from distance. Tiki-taka all the way into the goal? Firmino shoots like he has not eaten in days, and Couts shoots like he has eaten too much.
Anyways one bright spark and positive note was that Karius played really well, and I felt sorry for him when that goal went in.
Old Trafford, the scum, and Maureen of all people are waiting to repeat the performance Chelsea gave at Anfield to derail our hopes to challenge for the title.
I wish Klopp gets the necessary players to get the Red Machine in full effect on Sunday!
Up the Reds!!!
The only real positive was Karius tbh made up for him was exactly what he needed. I guess you can add on top of that it’s the first half of a 4 half match and we’re 1-0 down.
Can was atrocious, it’s like he’s gone backwards in terms of development Ejaria at this point in time is head and shoulders above him he was simply that bad. Lucas should never step foot in midfield again he just slowed the whole game down. Sturridge is just not good enough in this team, he’s a quality finisher but we need legs too for the entire system we try and play and he is another one who goes missing.
Still we’re in it, just about, and we’ve got the big match Sunday I bloody hope they’re up for it or I can see Klopp absolutely tearing strips out of them.
Let’s hope the last few games have been our blub and we can get back to winning ways at the weekend.
I would luv it if we beat them. Luv it…
I think a few players will be moved in the summer, 3 from tonight Stug, Can an Lucas.
Sturrage is a much better player for us when he comes off the bench. I think we should use him that way for the rest of the season.
Huge January for us, our season could be over come the end of it. But I’m thinking this is our blip and we’ll be back to normal come Sunday.
Wouldn’t care about either of the cup matches if we can get points in the next two league games.
Possibly the worst performance I have witnessed since Klopps arrival. We looked like relegation fodder.
I don’t rate Moreno at all.
Lucas….great loyal servant…blah blah…deserves testimonial …blah blah, The only thing he deserves is locking up
‘There has been, at times this season, a school of thought which is that, barring the bigger games, almost anyone can do what Henderson has spent much of this season doing for Liverpool. Since going off against Manchester City it would appear that almost no-one can.’
Sounds eerily like 2013/14.
Spot on re Coutinho. It was ridiculous, a real dereliction of duty which inevitably led to him taking daft shots again (I blame the team more than the player).
We need our best players back and, ideally, Lallana back in midfield. Mane needs to be replaced by an attacking player not a midfielder or we need to change shape and play two up top. If we’re going to persist with 4-3-3 then it has to be Lallana, Gini and Hendo unless we’re trying to dog a result.
Bobby F is getting an easy ride btw (professionally, not personally), he’s been off the boil for a long time now. Might be time for a rest and refocus.
Btw, is it just me, or is their something odd about Karius? (the player not the man)
It seems like January is going to be about damage limitation until we get Mane back plus Coutinho/Henderson/Matip back in and on form. I’d take a draw on Sunday thats for sure. Can does seem to have dropped off a cliff, not sure what we do with him. Firmino also a shadow of his pre-xmas self. Still the hard work in the first 1/2 of the season means we are still in a strong position and fighting on 3 fronts so not all doom and gloom.
Nailed it , on the subject of the enigma that is Emre Can the lad never hid and demanded the ball even though he knew he was having a mare .
The thing that frustrates me more is the massive big void Mane has left surely a plan to fill that void should have been in place going into this make or break month.
“On evenings like this one he makes it look like some oblique nonsense on The Crystal Maze — utterly confused, people shouting at him, Richard O’Brien playing the harmonica.”
This is brilliant. Take a walk around this writer gentlemen, he’s a colossus!
The looming spectre of Sunday is troubling for sure. We are a wounded animal going into this one and they are on quite a streak.
Old Trafford is for me the most stressful fixture of the season and always has been. We go into it a little disjointed and in need of the spark that characterised so much of our play in the first part of the season. We need Matip’s assurance, Henderson’s leadership and Coutinho’s genius.
Does anyone else feel we have been very lucky these 3 games haven’t been in the league. We lost points at The stadium of Light but the last 2 performances would have seen us lose to any Premiership side. I am hoping that is our slump this season and Sunday sees us kick back into gear as Neil mentioned above.
Lets pray thats the case anyway. We need to go for this title and i’m praying its starts again on Sunday