Report by
Dave Usher at Anfield
Three points, five goals and a clean sheet. Not a bad way to celebrate Christmas and just what we needed after throwing away two points at Arsenal. We rarely even had to move into third gear to win this, let alone fourth or fifth, so that's a good sign and hopefully it means that legs should still be quite fresh for Saturday's game against Leicester, which should be a lot more testing than this was.
Having taken an early lead with another Coutinho cracker the stage was set for us to put Swansea away before half time. The goal was a microcosm of everything good about us. Can pressed the man in possession and although he didn’t win the ball, he put the player off balance which allowed Firmino to come in and complete the job. Swansea wanted a free kick but it looked like a desperate dive to me, and for once Kevin Friend got something right and allowed play to go on. He had a very good game, which must be a first.
Anyway, Firmino found Salah who immediately played it into the path of Coutinho. One touch and then a spectacular bending shot into the far corner later and we had the crucial breakthrough. The first goal is always vital in these games but I always feel like it’s the second that’s the all important one. We can always give up a freak goal against these crap teams but sometimes you know there’s not a chance in hell they could score two. When we're playing someone decent then it's the third one that's the key as that means we're almost certainly sure of a point at least. It shouldn't be that way of course, but this is the crazy nature of this team.
A quick second would have probably opened the floodgates but the longer the half went on though the more our tempo dropped and Swansea were quite comfortable. It felt like most of the half was Matip and Klavan passing it to each other or to big Emre. I didn’t really blame them for that as there wasn’t enough going on ahead of them and the passing lanes weren’t there.
We’ve seen this quite a lot at home. Teams pack the defence and if we let the tempo drop then not much happens. When the tempo is high we look like we can score at will. Even in the recent disappointing display against West Brom there were a few spells when we upped the intensity and could have scored.
We had our moments in the first half against Swansea, most notably when Firmino missed a great chance just before half time after we’d pressured them and won the ball back. That chance came about because Ox showed the desire to press the ball and forced a mistake. There wasn’t really enough of that in the first half.
Firmino should have scored but overall he was brilliant again. He’s the most under-rated player in the league as no-one outside of our fan base seems to know how good he is. It’s all Salah this and Coutinho that, and last year it was Mané who got all the headlines. Firmino almost flies under the radar but he’s got 16 goals so far and more assists than any other number nine in the league. He probably runs twice as much as the rest of them too.
He made it 2-0 early in the second half when he stole in round the back and volleyed in Coutinho’s cross from close range. It was a good ball in but I thought the keeper probably should have come for it. After all the hugs and backslapping were over, him and Phil did a little dance, although Coutinho seemed slightly less of a willing participant in that. Firmino just doesn't give a fuck though, he loves all that.
Another free-kick almost led to the third. This one was beautifully done and deserved a goal. I was watching Mo closely as he was loitering around the back post and was in a fair bit of space as his marker had been sucked into the middle. I was expecting a linked ball to him on the back stick but just before it was taken he darted back out towards the penalty spot, Coutinho rolled it across to him perfectly but he dragged his shot just wide.
Coutinho was involved in everything, he was sensational and Swansea couldn’t get near him. He combined with Robertson to create the third goal. Robertson’s cross was half cleared but out of nowhere came Trent, to bring the ball down and smash it in off the bar for his first Premier League goal and first one at Anfield. It won’t be his last. That’s the stuff dreams are made of and his celebration was just raw emotion. Made up for the kid.
Firmino made it four after some unselfish play from Mo, who could have gone on his own but he was on his weaker foot with an unfavourable angle so he squared it to a team-mate who was better placed. Had Mané done that a few weeks ago Everton would have been on the receiving end of a similar beating to this one. Sadio didn’t even get on the field for this one, but that’s fine as he’ll be nice and fresh for the weekend. We really need him back on track because heavy rotation is going to be necessary over the next few games.
Firmino did some weird karate kick celebration after that one. You never know what he’s going to come up with, he’s a complete head the ball. I often find myself shaking my head at his antics and going “knobhead” but I mean that in the nicest possible way as I’m usually smiling when I say it. The goal celebrations, the no look finishes, the outfits, the tongue wrestling with his missus on instagram, the teeth… he is defo a knobhead but he’s funny as fuck and he’s our knobhead.
At 4-0 Klopp immediately took the opportunity to give Firmino and Salah a breather. A bit unfortunate for Firmino who was on a hat-trick, but it was the right thing to do and football has moved on from that. It wasn’t so long ago such a thing was heavily frowned upon, but it’s a fairly common occurrence now. Mo not scoring put a bit of a downer on the night for me. Any time he doesn’t score it feels like there’s something missing, regardless of how well we’ve played. Hopefully he can make up for it by scoring two or three on Saturday.
Ox made it 5-0 with a goal not too dissimilar to Trent’s, as his persistence saw him win the ball and then he lobbed it into the far corner. It wasn’t an important goal in terms of the game, but it’s important for him because goals are the main thing he needs to add. It was a great finish too, I didn’t realise at the time just how good it was but it gets better with every viewing. He’s already matched his season’s best tally from his Arsenal days, with just three goals. That’s appalling really for a player of his ability. How can he only manage three goals in a season? Since he’s been here he’s looked like someone who could comfortably get double figures if he got the playing time.
He wasn’t great against Swansea but he was fine. He works hard, he doesn’t give the ball away and he’s got a fantastic attitude. He wasn’t happy with his performance which is a good sign because it shows he’s serious about the need to improve. Based on everything I’ve seen and heard from him since he’s been here, I’d say he left Arsenal because he was too comfortable and it wasn’t a challenging enough environment for him. He wants to learn, he wants to improve, and he’s come to a club where he will need to do both if he’s to get a regular place. He’s easy to root for as he seems like a great lad.
I was convinced we’d get another goal before the end because I was sure that my boy Dom’s moment would finally arrive. Every single time he comes onto the field he goes close to scoring but it just won’t go in. He’s hitting the woodwork, keepers are making great saves or he’s having goals disallowed. Eventually his luck has to change and with twenty odd minutes to play I thought this was the time.
It wasn’t. First he had a close range effort blocked following good work from Milner (who had come on for Roberston) and then he hit a stunningly good volley inches past the far post. He’s going to be class and I hope he continues to get his chance even when Sturridge eventually comes back from whatever his latest ailment is.
The win moves us two points closer to the Mancs and we just have to keep this form going. The only time we drop points is down to stupid mistakes as nobody outplays us. Leicester and Burnley could both be difficult if we don’t take our chances or do something stupid at the back, but we’re playing well and have no reason to worry about any opponent.
The contrast in the goals against columns at home and on our travels is incredible though. Only three goals conceded at home, one of those a penalty that should never have been given and another was a complete fluke. So basically, one legitimate goal conceded in ten home league games. Away from home we’re leaking like a sieve. 20 goals conceded in 10 games.
There are various possible explanations for it but it’s mostly about the lack of ambition shown by away sides at Anfield. They’re all scared stiff, even the good teams. Mourinho parked the bus as usual, but even Conte came here and only played two attackers.
At home, in front of their own fans, even the lesser teams have to at least try and have a bit of a go. That suits us as we have more space to play and more counter attacking opportunities, but it also puts more pressure on the defence.
We’ve really hit our attacking stride over the last few months though and every game we go into there’s the possibility we could score six or seven. I feel like that’s being overlooked by a lot of fans. Only Manchester City carry the same kind of threat that we do and only City are as enjoyable to watch. For the neutral we’re even more of a must watch because there’s always the chance we’ll shoot ourselves in the foot.
After this game Chris Bascombe wrote in the Telegraph that this might be the most under-rated LFC team ever. I’d go along with that. I see so much negativity and complaining about this team. I’ve done a fair bit of it myself in the last two years but when you actually take a step back and think about it, you can make a strong case that this is actually the best team we’ve had since we last won the title. They're flawed, but they're also really fucking good.
The reason I say this might be the best we've had in 25 years is because (relatively speaking) we’ve mostly been somewhere between decent and shite in that time, and even in the brief periods we were really good it was never as consistently good to watch as this, and it was usually down to the brilliance of one or two players. The Gerrard/Torres axis for example. Take either one of those out of that team and we wouldn’t have coped. Similarly, take Suarez out of the 2013 side and you’d be left with… well you’d be left with the dross we saw the following year.
This team doesn’t rely on one or even two players. It’s a collective effort with lots of players chipping in. It’s a ‘Fab Four’, not a ‘Lone Ranger’ or a ‘Dynamic Duo’. Of course the team also has its weaknesses and can’t be trusted to protect a lead, but they’ve scored 74 goals this season already and we’re not even into the new year yet. At some point they’re going to have to start winning a trophy or two but I’d rather be watching this team every week than anybody else, including City who - brilliant as they undoubtedly are - should have an asterix next to everything they achieve.
At the opposite end of the spectrum you have Swansea, who look doomed. It's a real shame I think, as they try to play in the right way. Yes, they got men behind the ball and tried to defend in numbers, but at no point during this game did they ever resort to launching it up the field. They’re a club that has certain footballing principles and they’re sticking to them.
They pass the ball out from the back and they did it pretty well against us. The problem is they don’t have much in attack or out wide any more, so it was easy for us to keep them in check and win the ball back.
I mean what the fuck was that thing they had up front? As soon as I saw that pasty white, socks rolled down cunt leading the line I knew they weren’t going to cause us any problems. I had no idea who he was, but he looked like a fan who’d strolled out to take part in a half time penalty shoot out. It turns out his name is even more comical than his appearance - Oliver McBurnie. He’s Scottish. Of course he is, I knew that before I even checked. He may as well have sauntered out onto the field swigging a can of Iron Brew and calling himself Hamish McJock.
Picking him to start over Tammy Abraham was pretty fucking mental and tells me that Leon Britton might not be cut out for this management lark. I hope I’m wrong though because I liked him as a player and I’d love Swansea to somehow escape the drop because there are so many fucking negative, bus parking alehouse teams out there that I’d much prefer to disappear into the lower leagues instead. West Brom, Palace, West Ham, Burnley, Everton, Man United….
Star man is Coutinho who just edges out his mate Bobby. Wijnaldum was much improved in this one too, I actually noticed he was playing so that’s a step in the right direction. Tell you who else deserves a mention, because nobody ever talks about him even though he’s quietly had a pretty impressive season so far - Ragnar Klavan. His positional play and covering has been really good and he’s started to ping a few diagonals around recently too. He’s arguably been our best centre half this season, which isn’t saying much I know, but for £3m he’s been a pretty good acquisition all told.
Team: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Robertson (Milner); Can, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah (Lallana), Firmino (Solanke), Coutinho;
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