IT was almost mundane. It was simultaneously magic. Manchester United tragic.
The form book didn’t go out of the window. It rarely does. Since Rafa Benitez arrived at Anfield, broadly speaking, Liverpool have got the results they should, given the seasons they are on compared to that of Everton and Manchester United, and this season Liverpool have done that at Anfield in back-to-back home games.
The win against United was in part forged against Everton. The victory against Everton has settled The Reds into the moment. It has given them the fillip they needed. Since then it has been nothing but league wins, strong performances and last 16 qualification in Europe. But it has been assurance.
And Liverpool were assured against Manchester United, they were as certain of victory as it is reasonable to be. In fact, complacency was more likely to undermine them than anything Jose Mourinho or his players could do. Liverpool would find a way. Liverpool dismissed their opponents. It was almost mundane.
There was dominance everywhere, there wasn’t a Liverpool player who didn’t win their battle. Nathaniel Clyne was theoretically the weakest link, but he didn’t play like it. The only question mark wasn’t his quality but his energy. It is one hell of an ask off so little match fitness.
Andy Robertson on the other side was the opposite. His energy is incredible and his certainty when Alisson played out to him was repeatedly brilliant. He starts the move that leads to the second goal taking the ball under insane pressure before arrowing a diagonal into the midfield.
Fabinho had a whale of a time. He was in his pomp, enjoying space and picking his time to win his battles. His selection part of the manager doing his business well.
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He picked a side which was very fluid and started Sadio Mane from the right with Mo Salah through the middle. But the best first-half performance in attack was Roberto Firmino who similarly had a whale of a time. What was difficult in general for The Reds a few weeks back suddenly looks a joy.
Jürgen Klopp brings on a sub and that player scores two. When that happens a manager will be acclaimed but the player himself deserves massive credit. Xherdan Shaqiri finds his spaces like a man watching on from the sidelines and visualising how he helps the side win. He picks his moments brilliantly and shows all the time. His shots, while deflected, were sensible and it is his sense which has surprised far more than anything else — dancing on the light-up floor.
Liverpool had 36 shots. It is an astonishing fact and, while it is arguably 10 too many (hiya, Dejan), it shows just how dominant they were. How easy it was. It shows they battered Manchester United ’til kingdom come. They are coming to the boil as the decorations go up. They are aiming to be top of the pops while we hit the turkey. Seasons have seasons, have rhythms, seasons wax and wane, and right now this feels like the time of Jürgen Klopp’s mighty boys in red. Hang onto our coattails if you can.
The new normal being seeing off Manchester United mundanely is sound, long may it continue. But the new normal in terms of what Liverpool are doing to the football league cannot be dismissed as easily. Liverpool have now played 17, won 14 and drawn three. This is simply incredible. It isn’t championship form; it is beyond championship form, while simultaneously there are no guaranteed championships.
But there are no guaranteed championships for anyone right now. Manchester City will again have been watching on, again hoping, again disappointed. Liverpool are going at a rate only they can cope with, perhaps performing in a way only they can cope with, and both red and blue Mancunian stomachs will have fluttered today.
For now we bask. Top of the league, the ultimate form book. Seventeen hurdles down, 21 to go. Liverpool’s dismissal of Manchester United in our back pocket.
It’s fabulous. And it is also just one of them.
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Great performances all over the pitch today. Bobby stood out for me and also Clyne did so well having not played for so long. The squad depth looks awesome right now, 3 first choice defenders injured not currently an issue.
Agree with Neil regarding Shaq’s ability to find space. He should have been given the ball for his third towards the end there. He has great attacking intelligence. A nice performance and good result against a mid table team.
To turn up and dominate Man U after a hell of a tough match against Napoli and losing 3 or 4 key players to injury. Shows how far we have come under Klopp. Light years from when he took over. What a performance, what a squad. What a Xmas!
The tactics! What do you when a team parks the bus?
Well boys just have shots from anywhere!
They can deflect for corners:they can deflect for penalties:they deflect for goals!
Anything lucky about that? I don’t think so!
Were Shaq’s goals defelected, yes. But as I recall, the press was never worried about such details when Frank Lampard was banging them in for all those years. Also, deflections are almost always the result of you moving in space that stretched defenses, so basically you’ve created the chance through hard work, and every now and then you get the rub of the green. And Shaq deserves it.
I can’t believe how expected this result was. It was as inevitable a win as I have ever witnessed. I swear we are leaving teams traumatised.Any business done in January will mostly be concerned with next season.
Great win. However it’s madness. Our greatest ever start to a season EVER in our history and we are only 2pts ahead of Man City and 6pts ahead of Spurs. I truly hope those 2 blow up and we continue with our form and actually get better.
However today we beat a mediocre Man Utd handsomely. I am so happy that Mourinho is being shown up as a sad, horrible twisted bastard. I hope Man Utd continue with him and they get much worse.
Imagine being City steamrolling everyone and still being behind us.
Nobody seems to ever look at it this way for some reason.
I have said this on a number of occasions… you must not have read those comments.
We must be doing City’s head in. But equally we can’t just have our best run and just basically be romping it to a Premier League title, as City and Spurs are still in the hunt.
My immediate thought after the final whistle was just how easy that was. You only ever realise it at full time but that was a run-of-the-mill flattening of a mid-table side. Too fast, too strong and too intense. We outran them, harried them and bullied them. Van Dijk against Lukaku was almost unfair to watch. Don’t be surprised if Andy Robbo ran home after the game and runs to training in the morning. Clyne as well. What a showing off no preparation at all.
Fabinho played like the adult in the midfield. He was sense personified and his tackling is certainly aided by seemingly having the longest legs seen on a player since Edwin van der Saar. That pass for Mane’s goal was naughty. As was Mane’s treatment of Herrera for Shaqiri’s first. Oh and Shaqiri. Just what is our problem on transfers? We must owe these clubs millions more than we’ve actually paid in transfer fees. Robertson and Shaqiri for £20m? Not on really is it?
Oh and Gini as well. I’ve come to expect that from him. He’d be in my midfield for any big game ever.
It’s taking a while but I am gradually turning my doubts into belief.
Goals from corners conceded. Fixed.
Letting in last minute goals. Thing of the past.
Unable to hold in to a 3-0. Yes we can.
Jose spoiling our season. He’s gone for good soon.
The confidence is infectious and there was no panic against Napoli or after Man Utd scored.
Footballs coming home. You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Back in the 2000s I remember seeing some good matches between these two teams, some where we were better, other times them. Generally I remember reflecting on the difference between us being not one of quality but confidence. To my eyes, it could be summed up by the mindset of LFC players being “We can win this”, whereas MU’s players seemed to think “We will win this”. The certainty in their mind very different from the confidence to believe it’s a possibility. As good as we got, I mostly felt that Liverpool were always trying to knock Man U off their perch. Even after Whiskeynose retired and we were treated to the Moyes-VanGaal era, the ghost of their former success still roamed the pitch shaking his chains at us.
But we have flipped that on its head now. We are the team we look at any time like we know we’ll eventually win, even after every missed shot, even after Allison’s knee inadvertently became Man U’s best player. Not just in that match either. This year that’s what never losing does for you I suppose. Man U didn’t even look that bad to me, but we were just awesome.
Special shout out to Nat Clyne who has been put in the shade by TAA and that tells you everything about how good Trent is. Clyne is a fantastic player and I admired him before at other clubs and was very happy to see him sign with us. Since his injuries he’s had little moments but tonight he showed us his class, speed, confidence and ability. His florescent boots made a Billy-Whizz circle around the bottom of his legs when he got moving, like a highlight circle on Jamie Carragher’s iTable. If his teammates were sharp enough to read his runs, he’d have scored nor assisted multiple times last night. Well in. Hope he stays but you wouldn’t blame him for seeking first team regularity, nor us for selling at a profit.
But all the lads were sharp. Oh my god, that passing. That sharpness. Like a dream. Many times you feel eatching football that dispute the expense that they are just as error prone as anyone who plays football. But this felt like the kind of football an elite Premier League should be putting on. This was Champagne. Thank you Jügern. Thank you boys. The league doesn’t have finals but if we go on and win it now, this will be as memorable as any final in my book.
Despite, not dispute.
Forgot to use the massive tonking we gave them at OT back in 08/9 as a reference point. We beat them by more and scored more goals that day, even that Italian right back scored! But we were the hunter in that era. Every time we beat them back then it felt a bit like a giantkilling to me, unfortunately.
Last night Man U were hunting us (or supposed to be) and we just beat them up, time and time again. We were more than dominant, we’ve been dominant before against them. We were finally, genuinely and not just on the day, far superior to them, truly another class.
That Torres Stevie G Dosenna game was awesome but this one was something more. Would watch again.
Perhaps the maddest part is that City’s goal difference is only 8 better than ours, despite their routinely winning 7-0.
What’s also crazy is we never get any penalties any more and certainly not at Anfield and the last time we got one at the Kop end feels like it was when Dalglish was playing.
Just imagine how things could be if we got penalties just like all the other teams are awarded.
Just read this and it made me laugh;
Shaq is scoring, all around us,
Kopites singing, having fun,
Man Utd are 19 points behind us,
Merry Christmas Special One.
“It isn’t championship form; it is beyond championship form!”
This!
Unless we fall off a cliff in the 2nd half of the season (which I dont see), then we are challenging for the title right till the end. And I am certain Klopp’s boys will break ur best ever points tally in a 38-games season
Thanks for the write up Neil.
Agree with you and the supporters in here.
One thing I would like to see is the Reds improvement in taking and scoring from corners.
Apart from this I loved seeing Clyne play again. He worked harder than all of them, United included.
Alisson was playing on the wet surface and that might have affected his approach for that goal.
It’s also all the media hype about players. Wish they shut up and let the players just get on with it.
Best part for me was watching the man who knocked off Liverpool from their perch. Imagine how much he must have wanted to be there in place of the Moaner.
United are swapping places with Liverpool. Ironic. Before he passes on he will see that happen, spectacularly I wish.
Up the Reds!
Bit unkind on Degsy there, saying he had 10 shots too many :)
Great write up as usual, Neil