It turned out fine in the end but it was getting a bit frustrating there until Sadio scored out of nothing. After that some of the football was terrific and but for the Palace keeper it would have been a rout. All in all, plenty of things still to work on but a win is a win and there were also a lot of positives to come out of it.
Jurgen made five changes to the team that had started the previous two games and had that backfired he’d have no doubt taken some serious flak for it. Personally I don’t have any issue with him ringing the changes as it’s a necessary evil right now. He doesn’t have the luxury to just keep putting out the same team because we’re not the 8th placed team we were going into last season which means we now have midweek football to content with.
Whatsmore, until we get to the group stages these midweek games have to take priority over the league. Don’t get me wrong, once we’re in it I don’t actually care what Klopp does for the group games and if he wants to rest everyone to prioritise a title challenge then I’m not only on board that train, I’m in the drivers box with him, wearing the hat and sounding the horn.
We have to get there first though, and failure to do so would be catastrophic on a number of levels. First and foremost, it would undermine all of the hard work from last season and cast an enormous cloud over the start of the season. It might also make it more difficult to bring anyone in before the deadline. Would Van Dijk still prefer us over Chelsea if we weren’t in the CL for instance? There’s the financial aspect too, but I couldn’t care less about that as it makes no odds to me (in fact, I could do without the £59 a game they’re charging me).
No doubt Coutinho and his people would use any lack of CL football as further reason why we should let him go, but fuck that. If anything, if we blow it against Hoffenheim that’s even more reason not to let the malingering little shit go anywhere. Perhaps if he’d actually bothered his arse to play instead of faking a back injury (and Klopps comment’s about him being unlikely to play until the window is closed suggest to me that is the case) we’d already be through.
So I was fine with Klopp making five changes, although I can’t deny that I was concerned when I saw the team. That looked like a League Cup back four and the midfield didn’t inspire too much confidence either. Even the front three wasn’t balanced because Firmino was out wide and I don’t like him there as he’s less than half the player he is when he’s in the middle.
It galls me that we’re still in a situation whereby whenever one of the two wide players aren’t available or are being rested, Firmino is still the one being shunted out there. He does it because he’s a selfless player but it doesn’t do him or the team any favours. His mate’s shithousery is a part of it too, but this is why I’d have brought in another wide player and sold Origi to free up space in the squad.
I’d have been all over Mahrez me. I know the knock on him is he doesn’t work hard enough for Klopp’s system and I’m not saying I’d have him in the side every week. But whenever we need to rest Mané or Salah for games like Palace at home, wouldn’t it be good to be able to just unleash Mahrez? He’s available for £50m and we could do a lot worse than send Origi packing and bring him in.
Anyway, I’ve gotten a little sidetracked there. The team looked iffy and the first half was somewhat predictably ponderous. There were one or two nice combinations and moves though, usually down the left where Andy Robertson was making a lively debut. His crossing looks great and he looks like he’ll be a really asset in the attacking third. We already knew that though, it’s his defending that comes with a big question mark. He didn’t really have to do much of that against Palace so the jury is still out on that but he couldn’t have made a much better start than this.
Only a pitiful miss from Matip denied him an assist on his debut. The cross was an absolute beauty that beat Hennessey all ends up, but Matip somehow missed the target. He misses some chances him, doesn’t he? It feels like every game he gets an opportunity but he never scores because he’s got a head like a 50 pence piece.
That was the best chance of the half, although there was a couple of others that came at either end in a crazy 20 second spell. Firmino forced a save from Hennessey with a blast from distance and then Palace picked up the rebound and hit us with a quick counter that ended with Loftus-Cheek teeing up my boy Puncheon for a shot that the Mig beat away.
That was the only thing Mignolet had to do, but in fairness Hennessey wasn’t called into action anywhere near enough either. There wasn’t enough pace to our play and as the half wore on it got slower and slower.
The second half was much better though. We played at a higher tempo and seemed more threatening. That said, we should have gone a goal down when Loftus-Cheek skinned Klavan and cut the ball back for Benteke, but the man who has so often been a thorn in our side blasted it over the bar. A big let off, and one that thankfully we took advantage of.
Klopp made his first change by sending on Salah for Sturridge. It was an obvious one as Sturridge had faded badly after a bright start in which he looked really sharp in possession. He wasn't a goal threat at all though and seemed to spend most of his time outside the box.
Salah immediately made a difference though, as did Dom Solanke who came on for the once again anonymous Wijnaldum. The shenanigans from Coutinho and the injury to Lallana have given the Dutchman a chance to lay a marker down for a place, but the way he’s going he’ll be losing his spot to Grujic soon. He’s not been noticeably bad, he’s just not been noticeable at all.
The goal came not long after the arrival of Solanke and he contributed to it with a challenge that saw the ball break to Mané, who seized on the loose ball quickly and finished with the kind of aplomb we’ve come to expect. He’s a great finisher.
After that we ran riot and it probably deserved to score at least another couple of goals. Some of the football was great once the tension had been lifted with the opening goal. Salah could have had a couple, Robertson went really close and Solanke was denied a debut goal too after a lovely counter attack.
Solanke is boss, he’s won me over already as he looks a proper player. He’s not one for the future, he could play now and I’m happy that Klopp has quickly dispensed with the whole ‘Origi next in line’ thing. Solanke is rightly ahead of him and when we have a few players back Origi is going to find it difficult to even make the bench. As I said, sell him and buy another wide player.
It was somewhat disconcerting that the second goal didn’t come because we all know what that usually leads to; panic in the closing minutes when the other side starts launching long balls. It didn’t really play out like that as we defended the long ball well and didn’t let them build up any kind of pressure. The few set-pieces they had were dealt with comfortably too. It wasn't as nervy as I expected, so fair play to the makeshift back four.
These are the games we often find difficult so it’s a positive that we were able to eventually grind them down. It may have been a different story had Benteke taken his chance, but he didn’t and we’re now off and running. If we can beat Arsenal next week (and I’m confident we will) then seven points from nine would be a good start, especially given the list of absentees we have right now.
Robertson is the star man but I thought Gomez did well on the other side too, while Mané was excellent second half. Matip was largely untroubled, Milner was steady and the two subs gave us a big lift at a time when we needed it.
Team: Mignolet; Gomez, Matip, Klavan, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum (Solanke), Milner; Mané, Sturridge (Salah), Firmino (Lovren):
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