After an ugly first half Liverpool recovered to win a crucial three points against Brighton, but how do you dissect such a two-sided game?
HOW things can change.
At half time on Saturday I went onto the concourse of the Upper Kemlyn stand and seethed.
I’d had enough of them, I was calling them for everything, I cursed every mile it took me to get there, and every pound spent. All the hot drinks and heavily salted snacks were not going to improve my mood.
The club and I had already had a bad week. Through a silly mistake I’d potentially ballsed up my membership/ticket loyalty thing.
I asked the club if they could just tick a box and help me out. They refused and advised me to read my emails more carefully. They were right, but I could have done without that. I admitted that the error was mine — I have no defence — but they refused to acknowledge human error and meet me halfway. Then they asked me to fill in a customer feedback survey.
I demurred lest I lose all my tickets from now on.
As I traipsed down the stairs, shouting at clouds, I noticed the collection of posters which were draped on the back wall of the stand. They told of past victories – the 2005 Chelsea semi, the 4-2 win against Arsenal when I swear the concrete steps on The Kop actually moved and other such historic nights. Great games, great times.
I sighed at them. Past victories can only wound you as you judge all current ills against them. They weren’t doing me any favours then. I was too wrapped up in the here and now.
How would history view Liverpool 0 Brighton 1?
It’s hard to say who was the angriest person around that patch of concourse, but I was certainly in the running after 45 minutes of watching the entire midfield battle Trent Alexander-Arnold for the coveted ‘Worse Game Ever Played’ award. The forwards and back four getting nowhere near space or runs respectively.
Out played and outfought. Schooled, even.
It struck me that my last two columns have praised the opposition. Quite right too, Chelsea and Arsenal are very difficult to play. I’d have to say the same about Brighton. I loved that they went for a standard 4-4-2, practically the template for all formations and long since recognised as out of date, but they still caused us problems all over the pitch.
They should have put that game to bed long before our lads even got out of breath.
But maybe it wasn’t about the opposition after all. Maybe Liverpool… And there’s no better way to put this… Just aren’t all that.
I mean, the midfield can be great at some things, but Alexis Mac Allister still isn’t firing (Welcome to Heresy Club – there’s more to come) and Dominik Szoboszlai continues to confuse me with every passing week.
Then there’s Trent not chasing down runs once they’ve passed him, which he’s prone to do from time to time, and the fact that our first-choice left back needs a month on a beach rather than captaining the first team in the League Cup.
Maybe we should recalibrate. Oh, no runners, obviously — that credo never dies — but this is still a work in progress, after all.
Yes, I know we keep winning, but is there some papering and crack work going on? I’ve been in two minds for ages. And here’s us with all these problems sitting at the top of the league.
At half time, I was in no doubt. We’re a decent side with the ability to be absolutely dreadful. We don’t start well and that’s a concern.
How things can change.
I sang my lungs out at the final whistle. I’ve had a cold so God knows what garbled nonsense squeaked from my red raw throat, but it didn’t matter as no one could hear me.
There is nothing better than leaving a ground with people singing. The outside air alive with song. The streets became temporary terraces.
The win was on the manager. The win was on Trent picking a fight with their lad with the sole intention of ramping up the atmosphere. The win was on Szoboszlai throwing in a wonderfully horrific tackle to do the same thing. The win was on Mo Salah casually reminding the world that he can be quiet for an age, and then effortlessly win games and improve the day of millions with a simple sweep of his leg.
Absolute kudos to the manager. The substitutions improved everyone and everything. It hardly ever does that.
Curtis Jones covered the ground, Lucho Diaz became a weird number nine/Szoboszlai sort of a 10 for a few minutes, even Conor Bradley went upfront for a bit and at the back stood Joe Gomez, playing like it was his 100th straight game there.
I’ll be honest, I still worry about the setup, the personnel, the contracts, the others and the brutal frankness of fate, but I also have to acknowledge that a win like that, while never being important enough to have its highlights committed to canvas and draped over a wall, coupled with dropped points for everyone else, can really make you think.
Is this the norm now? Is this what we are? I don’t think so. I think it’s just a part of what is to come. This might be the best bit.
Top of the league. Five points dropped all season and it’s November.
How things can change.
Mo Salah, though.
