Pre Match
THE problem with a free hit is you have got to land the fucker well.
I mean, when you think about it, who in their right mind is offering up a free crack? Juice heads and fellas with necks like chimney stacks, that’s who. No one gets to waft a dig at these big bastards and not regret it. Think about every film you have ever seen where the baddy offers up the first hit for nothing. Nine times out of 10 the fuckers start laughing like they are made out of the same gear as Jon Otsemobor’s arse.
The Reds have got a free hit have they, yer? Sound. Redmen, jump out of that ring a minute, grab that randomly placed metal chair, and crack these fuckers right over their scruffy, fucking cagoule-shagging, rain-loving heads, and don’t stop till you see lots of grown men and women crying with joy.
Days like today are mad days, aren’t they? I’ve spent the day lurching from a position of admirable calm, serene confidence and general soundness, to one of sheer panic-induced mania. Like my head is on a metronome and as it ticks left it is the head of a dog riding in the passenger seat of a lovely car with his massive tongue out having an absolute ball, might even have shades on, somewhere like Santa Monica, getting driven by The Rock.
But, uh oh, what’s that? The metronome is launching right, I’m now one of them unfortunate souls who feels sick on a train and sticks their head out the window for some fresh air, only to be met by one of them Japanese bullet fellas going full pelt the other way.
Heavy.
Alisson: 8
Fuck all to do except play a bit of footy and then pick one out. Not a great deal he can do with that one. He fucking lashes it in. Makes two great saves second half. Passed to Degsi too much, which done no one any favours.
Trent: 7
Like all The Reds, played well first half and didn’t deserve to be one down. Use of the ball was great bar one sloppy one first half. I’m not sure you will ever see a better ball with his wrong foot for the goal, mate. Absolutely means that, greatest ball you have ever seen.
Degsi: 5
Yellow card to mark his greatest contribution as a Liverpool player. Gets legged a few times but in fairness, their tricky lads are boss. You could say he was on his heels for their goal first half, but fucking hell that would be a bit on the harsh side. He’s no Virgil. Not a great deal you can do sometimes aside from doff the auld cap.
Unfortunately, second half, they exploited his weaknesses. Mainly his mind. He was wild there, capped off with that ball to Virgil last minute. Hopefully Virgil is hitting him repeatedly in the grid with his boot as we speak.
Only messing, Big Dog.
Virgil: 7
Great block at 0-0. Didn’t deserve to be getting beat. Pretty similar second half. Reckon he is in his trying to make a potion of Virgil’s marvellous medicine for big Joey Gomez’s leg. Missing him like fuck.
Robbo: 8
For a fella whose bird has been in the longest labour ever, he was spot on first half. I was a shambles when my bird was in labour. Ran out the house with no jumper or coat, and me bird had the fucking window open all night, the selfish fucker. Was frozen fucking stiff, lad. Great run and cracking ball for the goal. Didn’t deserve to be on the losing team.
Hendo: 7
Played well. Front foot, broke it up. Fine lines, lads.
Milner: 6
Played well while he was on, as they all did. But looked knackered, there. The right change, really.
Gini: 7
Shows some balls to keep the ball in the positions he ends up in, with three fellas legging him.
Sadio: 7
Absolute hard lines with that effort first half. Does everything right. I don’t know how that isn’t a goal. I don’t think anyone does. How the fucking hell does that go through Salah’s legs. Seriously. Every now and again, you get one of them. We could have played for a year there and wouldn’t have got the rub of the green.
Mo Salah: 6
Really unlucky for the one across the keeper. Great save. Didn’t get much out of them, but then they had about six fellas marking him.
Firmino: 7
Thought he was really good all the way through. Linked it well, held his shape, worked hard, a threat, gets the goal.
SUBS
Fabinho:
Did well when he come in. Great change by the manager. Don’t agree with the inevitable cryarsing that says he should have started. Think our shape, tactics and selection were pretty much spot on. That was a coin toss, mate.
Shaq and Sturridge:
Tried to have a go.
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Whatever Lovren says about himself, he is not world class. Nowhere near it. Weak in every conceivable area. Can’t think on his feet, has the attention span of a fruit fly and the balance of a bus-stop cider drinker.
Get well soon Mr. Gomez.
Lovren, self proclaimed best defender in the World. Talks a good game and then just shoots himself in both feet, which just so happen to be in his mouth. Did not do himself any favours tonight.
Modern life – have to find someone to blame when things disappoint! Lovren was fine tonight as he has been since Spurs last year. We were beaten by a very good side that played well – despite that fine margins either way could have resulted in a different score. Get over it. Support. 4 pts clear and we are watching one of the best Liverpool teams of all time. We might not win it but, if not, it will because we are up again another team who are incredible.
Was he heck ‘fine’. He was a liability. He’s not a terrible defender, he’s just miles from being a good enough defender for a title challenging team. His distribution wasn’t good enough, he lost his man a couple of times, most notably for first goal, and in the second half he lost his mind, particularly when he twice fucked up in the same attack to gift Sterling that shot that hit the post.
Liverpool’s only weak point as a squad right now, in my book, is that Gomez has a history of injuries, and when he’s out we’re reliant on this guy. He needs to be a 4th choice CB next year, who gets a run out against the bottom six so Virg can put his feet up. Lovren cannot cope with the pressure in big games, he’s shown it many times.
Can’t agree with some of this Ben. Trent was caught out by following Aguero for their 2nd instead of getting instantly across to Sane while Sterling had the ball and no one putting in a tackle on him. If he (TAA) had done this, then Aguero is offside, as he was when Sterling got the ball initially.
Lovren should have got to the ball before Aguero for the 1st. Stood their lead footed to the spot.
Henderson. I am sorry but he broke up very little. Don’t think he made a tackle until the 80th minute. Spent most of the game doing his best impression of PSG away again and somehow running in treacle and not getting anywhere and every pass more or less backwards. Sorry but I truly cringed at the team sheet when I saw him back and again we didn’t have the best of games or do ourselves the justice we can do. felt like Lovren he was poor.
Fine margins and unfortunately too many of ours again failed to deliver a decent enough performance in a game they had to truly give absolutely everything. Like in Europe away for far too long now,since Ox-Chambo has been missing, we have suffered defeats. This just was another big occasions where we hoped to rise to the occasion and just didn’t with the midfield we used again tonight.
I am deflated. Chance for a big statement and we didn’t make it.
I thought TAA was poor too. Sane ran the rule over him which makes the decision to loan Clyne out baffling. He is a better defender than TAA and wold have covered for Lovren better. Lovren was at fault for both goals should’ve dealt with the first and played sterling onside for the second. Having said that our midfield was rubbish, they didn’t contribute to or attacking/defensive play. We could’ve left them out and it wouldn’t have made a difference on the day
We needed that defeat tbh cos some of the guys had gotten complacent
Are you on glue?
I was actually thinking something similar, but the back pass by us was shit as well,so he has a point on that one.
Thought the yellow was just one of them, take it for the team etc. We moan we don’t do enough of that, then when we do we moan its stupid.
Brighton is all that matters now. Move on. Hopefully be out of my brain on the 5.15 come a week on Saturday. Can’t wait. We can still do this, we really fucking can.
All we can do is move on and start again. Crying about it is going to do feck all. We now have to right a wrong and do so in similar style like we did after PSG. However can we come to one conclusion,we play our best footie when Henderson isn’t playing. It is now becoming fact.
You might be right but Milner and Gini didn’t do anything either. The only midfield player to do anything of note was Fabinho in my opinion. I don’t think Milner should’ve started.
Nice reference to The Who La.
Gutted not to get a draw.. would have been a result. Thought we played with immense control at times. Dont think we really need to scapegoat Lovren, they all played decent.
Might not be the scapegoat, but he was hardly immense or even half decent. He needed to be tonight, especially after talking big game stuff all the freakin time. He needs to can it and do his talking on the pitch.
Not sure about this really. Not sure any of our players were immense but I do think he at least half decent. It was a close game but city were better.
Not a huge Degsy fan but absolutely no way he can be scapegoated. He wasnt excellent but few were. He was fine.
Sake, lads. perspective here.
We’ve had a lot of luck so far this season, and it ran out tonight. Bring on Brighton!
Can I ask Adrian, is having a ref come from Manchester (again) for a crucial game against City in a title race just luck or is it the most ridiculous sh*t you ever heard? Personally I think it would be lovely if the FA would do us a solid like this and select a Liverpool fan from Liverpool to referee a big game decider for us, don’t you think?
When you think Mane got a red card last term against them and yet Kompany today stays on when it was a definite red card. Just reminds me all of the stinky sh*te that happened in 13/14 at roughly the same time of year.
Think we’ve gotta be fair. Taylor has been our nemesis in the past and I can’t stand the guy generally but can’t think of many decisions he got wrong last night. It was a frantic match too.
The Kompany red – seen them given, seen them given as yellow too.
Were we all begging for Big Virj to be sent when he similarly caught Mehrtens v Napoli on the follow-through? Course not. Can’t have it both ways.
Not a shocker that the long knives are out for Lovren and Henderson. Good thing Moreno wasn’t a part of the 2-1 loss or he’d be strung up on a telephone pole outside his house.
We’re top of the league by four points and Hendo and Lovren are a big part of that fact. We fought a hard battle balanced on a knives edge and it went the other way. We get knocked down, but we get back up again. These are our lads in the best of times, and the worst. Losing to City is no disgrace, and none of the boys in Red disgraced themselves.
We ask them to show some spine. Perhaps a bit from the supporters would do some good.
Sorry Walter, but both were far from decent again tonight in a game where they needed to be truly up for it. No one is making them scapegoats, they just didn’t deliver and not for the first time when it truly counts. That is why people are speaking out and in the case of Lovren, he should just shut his trap and as I said, leave the talking to on the pitch.
I certainly don’t wish for either to have a hard time. I also hope each of them can raise their game. But you said it, there were small margins, but these 2 made these margins look much bigger than the width of that ball not crossing the line for us.
This.
This all day long.
Man City home and away, Chelsea away, Arsenal away. If Shaqiri starts all 4 of these games, do we still come out with a combined 3 points?
That could be the league right there.
Understood the Milner call based on the opposition and his experience etc. but was not in proper shape for it. Fabinho clicked straightaway. Up to their goal before it got a bit ragged he was ticking that midfield over nicely. Post city at anfield I would have snapped hands off to be within a result of them. 4 points clear. Keep the heads. Some crazy fuckers have access to internet out there
Keep the faith!
Of course City would be up for this game at home! Did they dominate us? Not even close. They got the bounces this game, that was clear early on from the moment of the 1st Mane chance. Do they have the balls to play this way all season? I don’t think so. They scored off a great strike by Aguero and a pretty damn good one from Sane too. Sterling was garbage. As was Silva.
I thought the boys did ok on the occasion. Everyone could have played better, but after making it though December unbeaten, you can’t ask for everyone’s top game.
The boys are still up by 4. Just need to take care of business.
YNWA
Henderson, Wjnaldum and a half fit Milner? A midfield asking to be replaced. Get Fabinho and Keita in there ASAP, please.
Agree mate. Henderson and Milner together is not a great combination, at least Gini offers a bit of drive. Klopp knew the midfield needed an upgrade and bought in three talented players and tried for a fourth, so why are we relying on the usual suspects? Nothing against any of our midfield players, they are all good but some are better than others and certain combinations are not ideal. It’s essential in my eyes for Keita and Fabinho to be used much more as we need better mobility and support for the front three.
Spot on. It’s a red for the tackle. Think Stones would have got across but the challenge was a disgrace.
All the rest, spot on.
I don’t think any of lads played badly.
I think Lovren played well, as well as he could. The issue is his good isn’t good enough, his quick isn’t quick enough. Virgil glides along like a Rolls-Royce, purring through the gears and looking comfortable and classy while doing it.
Lovren looks like a 2001 Volkswagen Passat – it can do all the basics and look impressive but you shite it everytime it’s up for an MOT and you know it’s not going to impress the in-laws. Gomez needs to get fit soon because Lovren just isn’t good enough – good, but not good enough.
Our midfield was being hard pressed in the first half but they coped – they weren’t flashy but criticism is unfair. This was City’s cup final and they got the rub of the green at home but they didn’t swamp us – they pressed, kicked and harried but they exhausted themselves and we grew into the game. Fab did change things when he came on but he did so because he came off the bench – he had the extra legs but Milly, Gini and Hendo had ground them down. I think Henderson was great again. I just don’t get the hate. I think him and Fab are THE starting pair for midfield.
Luck didn’t go our way. It has before so we can’t cry about it today. We need to dust ourselves off and move on. Fuck the FA cup, play all the B team (even Moreno and Migs) and focus on Brighton and another unbeaten run. The League is still on. Lets bring it home or die trying. Up the reds!
Sums up how I feel beautifully. Really disappointing to read some of the comments on here slagging off certain players (and by extension the manager). Depressing and counter productive.
Frank is spot on.
How each of us behaves as fans affects the outcome. Make no mistake. Even if it’s 0.1% . It could be way more. We’re the 12th man – if we choose to be. Or we can undermine and obstruct them.
All the LFC legends – all those insanely-gifted players from our past. These guys – including the less gifted, like Degsy – have all done better than them this first half of the season. Just have a think about that before all the fume. We played pretty well – but City played a little better. With a little luck it could have been different, but as I’ve said, we used up a fair whack of that courtesy of Jordan’s crossbar gift in the 96th :)
Trust these lads – Lovren included. Yes he may be a Skoda but he’s our Skoda and he’d done well this season so far (though would love him to do his talking on the pitch)
Get behind every one of these lads and this manager, this manager who’s got us the best ever start of any Liverpool side, top of the league by 4 points.
On to Brighton. Then Palace. Building blocks. Three points, step by step. A relentless march to the Holy Grail.
Come on. City were fuming after a poor spell and HAD to win this game. Just be objective and ask yourselves what you would have thought about a prediction that we’d be top by 4 points on 4th January. We had to lose sooner or later.
But I DO think we get dudded by referees from South Yorkshire/West Yorkshire/Greater Manchester. Simple fact.
Former referee Hackett criticised the appointment of Taylor pre-match, saying that his performances in Man City matches are frequently controversial. Just saying…
Kompany should have been red-carded. But so should Van Dijk have been the other week.
Look at the Mane post shot ago.
Gets completely cleared out by the goalie.
Almost comedy foul.
Everyone got too excited about the goal line clearance to notu e the definite pen we shoulda had.
losing 2-1 at City is not the end of the world as we know it. As most commentators recognise we are in a really strong position and better off than many would have predicted. We cannot lay claim to being the better team on the day but we can claim with some justification that the luck we have had early on in the season went from swing to roundabout on the day. Kompany should have been sent off and I draw a crystal clear distinction between his premeditated take down of Salah and VVD,s accidental connection on the follow through in the Napoli game. Kompany has history in the dark arts as does Fernandinho who committed more fouls than any other player in the entirety of the last World cup. he gets away with it because he is smart. he also happens to be inordinately strong in the tackle unlike any of our midfielders or defenders with the exception of VVD. Mooro is right in saying Mane was cleared out by the goalkeeper. so far as Lovren and Henderson are concerned there are reasons why fans are uncomfortable. when we have a combination of TAA and Lovren it invites other teams to that side of the team. its not so much that the fans see deficiencies in Lovren its that other teams do and exploit them. Henderson is not in my view a title winning midfielder. he cannot actually tackle he cannot see a pass other than one which is backwards or sideways(imagine how easy it is to play against him) and his positional play is infantile. if he is wearing a red shirt I will support him as always but do not confuse team support with blind stupidity. At the moment Fabinho is not yet at the level needed and Keita has so far been a disappointment although it is early days. Bearing in mind that City are a rich mans plaything and have used that wealth to recruit all the football mercenaries we are doing well. we should not get irritated by the post match mind games of the likes of that literary giant Fernandinho and critically need to focus on the next few games. I have every confidence that Klopp will deliver success and we will get back on title terms with the real enemy across Manchester. In a strange sort of way I would rather lose to City than united