I know it was only 1-0, and I know they aren’t very good, but that was the best European performance we’ve had since the days of Rafa. It was complete and utter dominance for most of the game, and then when we eventually needed to do a bit of defending we made it look comfortable.
Rubin are a poor team, but we’ve played loads of jabroni teams in the Europa and we usually make really hard work of it, so this was a big step in the right direction.
We’re now in great shape to get out of the group and it’s another good performance the players can use as a confidence builder moving forward. We’re improving every game now it seems, and in many ways this was the most complete performance we’ve seen so far. In terms of the control we had with and without the ball it’s the best we’ve looked in ages. Quite simply, Rubin were never in this game until the last ten minutes when we understandably got a bit edgy.
The start we made was great. Just swarmed all over them right from the first whistle and who knows, if Milner’s shot is a couple of inches lower and we take an early lead, we might have ran riot. I’m not sure they’d even touched the ball at that point, and the bit of play from Firmino to create the opening was great. Sadly Milner hit the bar and we had to wait until the second half to finally break the deadlock.
Everything else was perfect though in that first half. They couldn’t get out of their own half while we just moved it around quickly and worked the ball into good areas only to let ourselves down with a poor final ball or weak shot.
That side of it still needs a lot of work, but the rest of our game has come a long way in just four weeks. We’re doing things now that Rodgers no longer believed was possible. We’re playing four at the back and keeping clean sheets for one thing. Not just that, we did it with Lovren and Sakho playing together and with Moreno at left full back. Emre Can is playing regularly in midfield and we’re playing 4-2-3-1 and actually making it work. Whenever Rodgers played that system it was a train wreck.
Lovren was solid and the one bad moment he had - when he was booked - wasn’t even his fault, he was dropped in it by Sakho who gave the ball away in a dangerous area and forced Lovren into a foul. That was just about the only thing Sakho did wrong in what was otherwise another flawless display.
The stand out performer from the first half though was Jordon Ibe, while Clyne also caught the eye on that right flank. Those two linked up well and Ibe was especially good when cutting inside to open things up. He’s right back on form again now and he’s actually a good microcosm of the entire squad since Klopp arrived. Going nowhere and short of confidence before, and now bright, vibrant and positive since the German arrived.
Right on the stroke of half time Ibe got into the box and attempted a cross but he was challenged by a defender and the ball didn’t go where he intended, and instead struck another Rubin player in the middle, forcing the keeper into a stunning save. That was probably the closest we came to a goal in the first half, despite all the good approach play.
We started the second half really well too and had chances to break the deadlock. Milner was denied by the keeper and Moreno hit the side netting. It was one way traffic and eventually it paid off when Firmino released Ibe through the middle and he found the the net via the inside of the post. Great finish and a nice way to get your first goal. It’s been a long time coming that, but hopefully the floodgates will open for him now.
He had a chance to add a second soon after following a superb counter attack led by Lallana (who’d come on to replace Milner), but Ibe’s shot was too close to the keeper this time. Quick word on Milner, he was better in this game I thought but he’s definitely struggling for form and looks to be the most vulnerable if Ibe forces his way into the starting eleven.
Lovren went close with a header and Can should have had a penalty when he went down under a challenge from behind. I didn’t think it was a pen on first viewing, but unlike Michael Owen when I saw a few replays of it I soon realised I’d been wrong initially. You almost have to admire the sheer stubbornness of Owen to not admit he’d called it wrong initially. With each replay he dug his heels in more and more, and made himself look utterly ridiculous. A shame, as I’m starting to quite enjoy his commentary these days but he let himself down there.
It was actually quite a nasty foul as the lad raked his studs right down the back of Emre’s calf, he had a nasty looking cut as a result of it and he was seriously pissed off at the ref for not giving him a pen. I don’t blame the ref at all, it initially looked like a dive to me as well. What the hell was the extra official doing though, he was right on the spot for that and gave nothing. They’re a total waste of time those fellas, just sack them off.
The second goal didn’t come and when we got to the final ten minutes suddenly Rubin realised that despite barely having a kick they could still get something from the game. We gave away some cheap free-kicks which allowed them to put balls in the box, but it was usually a Liverpool head on the end of it and Mignolet hasn’t had an easier 90 minutes than this in his three and a bit years at Anfield.
The last few minutes and stoppage time were a doddle as having weathered the mini storm (not that you could even call it that) we kept possession and kept the ball in their half until the final whistle went. Kloppo was straight on the pitch handing out hugs to all and sundry, it’s great isn’t it? The “Ibeeeeeeeee” thing was hilarious, as was him slapping Allen in a headlock and picking Moreno up in a bear hug. He can do all that stuff now as he’s new and the players are buzzing as much as we are. It will be interesting to see if he’s still doing that in two or three years time. If he is, presumably that means we’re still winning.
Team: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Allen, Can (Skrtel); Ibe, Firmino (Lucas), Milner (Lallana); Benteke:
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