There’s a lot to be said for scrappy 1-0 wins on days where you don’t really have it. It’s satisfying to me, especially when our goal comes via a set-piece. I think that goes back to all of those years when it would be us on the receiving end of those scorelines.
We’d play someone shit, not really do enough to win and end up getting nothing because of a shitty set-piece. It happened so many times over the years, especially to teams like Burnley and their ilk. For us to be able to go there on a wet, windy, miserable day, when our forward line doesn’t really show up, and still be able to win the game relatively comfortably (it never felt in any doubt to me) is great.
Of course I’d rather we went there and turned on the style to win by four or five, but that doesn’t happen every week and being able to win regardless of forum is a great asset to have. I mean, we still dominated the game and deserved the points, but we were way off where we’d normally be and this is the kind of game that caused us to come unstuck in all those decades when we weren’t challenging for the title.
The conditions played a part but I don’t think that’s why we didn’t have it up front. The wind and rain made it difficult for the defenders and for players looking to switch the play with long passes, but I don’t think we can use the conditions to explain away why the front three weren’t on it. I don’t think there is any explanation, it’s just one of those days that happen from time to time.
It’s also worth mentioning that although Burnley are shit and may well go down this year, they’re not THAT shit. By that I mean that they lose a lot of games but they’re competitive and rarely get battered. It’s not easy playing them because their heads never go down and they continue to play their game no matter what. They don’t change how they play regardless of the score and what they lack in quality they make up for in work rate and organisation.
They hardly ever win games these days (just one all season) because they can’t score, but it’s not like they lose loads either. They’ve drawn 11 of 21 games and their goal difference is only -12. There’s a reason for that and I suppose that reason is a big part of why we weren’t at our best. It’s easy to focus on us and what we didn’t do, but maybe Burnley need some credit here?
Klopp’s team selection was interesting. Some would say surprising, but it’s going to take a lot to surprise me as this is the kind of thing we’re going to have to get used to if we avoid injuries. The squad is massive and Klopp is spoiled for choice. The games are coming every three or four days so he’s going to make changes. Get used to it because there are going to be games when he’ll pick Naby over Thiago or Bobby over Jota.
As much as I wanted to see Diaz and Jota playing that’s just not going to happen every game. Sadio coming back in made sense to me. He’s on a massive high so get him back in straight away. Bobby starting was more of an issue for me but I understood it. He’s got a good record against Burnley and if Sadio and Mo were back in the side, I can see why Klopp wanted Bobby in there with them for the familiarity aspect of it.
I also thought there was an element of him just wanting to send a message to the ‘original’ front three that despite the other great options he has at his disposal, they’re still ‘his guys’. By the end of the game I was thinking that this might actually be the last time we see them start together as a three. It probably isn’t, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
Mainly because of Bobby. Well, entirely because of Bobby. Sadio and Mo playing together is something we’ll see a lot of, for the rest of this season anyway. It remains to be seen what happens in the summer, but right now you’d have no issue whatsoever with Sadio and Mo being in a front three. Bobby being in there with them ahead of Jota and Diaz though? Nah.
In fact, and I hate that I’m even thinking this let alone voicing it in a match report, I’d be starting Taki and Div ahead of Bobby now I think. Look, Bobby at his best is one thing. You’d have no qualms about picking THAT Bobby as he’s fucking awesome. Bobby when he’s not at his best though, which has been the case for much of the last two years, I don’t really know what he brings to the table that can cancel out the lack of goals and the continual squandering of possession.
But I don’t want to get into a Bobby bashing session so I’ll say no more on it here, other than to make the point that he gave the ball away a lot and even when he didn’t give it away, all I was thinking when the ball came to him was “please don’t give it away”. It’s actually a relief when he doesn’t. That’s not a good thing to be thinking about a player.
I think it stood out all the more because the team as a whole wasn’t playing well. We started brilliantly and in the first ten minutes we looked so sharp and purposeful I was expecting us to run away with it. Sadio looked sensational early on and Hendo was really good too. And then it just fizzled out.
Our attacking play just wasn’t up to scratch but defensively it was excellent. The frustrating thing is that we completely restricted Burnley to absolutely nothing, yet Alisson had to make a load of saves and their crowd were bang up for it because of the amount of ‘chances’ it appeared that they had. They weren’t chances because they were all offside. But the flag doesn’t go up straight away, play goes on, they have a shot at goal and the crowd and their players are lifted by it thinking they’re causing us problems.
They weren’t. Not at all. The broadcasters really need to get a grip of this shit because I’m so sick of watching MOTD and seeing a load of ‘chances’ against us that would not have counted because they were offside. It happens every week. This time Fabinho was even grilled about it afterwards. “Burnley created a lot of chances against you”. Fabinho looks baffled and says “did they?”
No, they didn’t. I’m not even sure they created one chance. Virtually every moment of ‘danger’ was the result of them running offside but being allowed to play on because of this daft new policy. It’s a farce and it’s distorting the perception of our games. Burnley thought they were in a game in which they didn’t actually lay a glove on us all day.
The funny thing is that the one ‘legitimate’ chanced they had came after they fouled Mo in the box and then countered on us. If Weghorst had put that one away it would have put the ref and VAR in a real pickle. It’s easy to not give the penalty when Burnley fucked up the counter attack, but denying us that pen and also allowing a goal that came as a direct result of it? I’m not sure they’d have done that, I reckon they’d have taken it back and awarded the pen.
Because that’s what they should have done anyway. I’m not prepared to even enter any debate on this. Usually with pens I can see a case for giving the decision either way. The case is usually stronger for one side than the other but you can at least understand why the decision was made. This one is just a stonewall pen.
I don’t care whether Mo could have stayed up or whether he decided he was going to go over. It’s irrelevant because there’s no way of knowing. Sometimes when there’s absolutely minimal contact you can make that call, but this was a proper kick. Plenty of contact, and even if it was not enough for Mo to go down (which again is impossible to know) it was definitely enough to impede him and stop him from making the action he was trying to make.
Mo’s problem is he doesn’t sell these things well at all and when he goes down it always looked forced or theatrical. Even when it isn’t and it’s a completely genuine fall, it still has that iffy look about it. They didn’t give this because they clearly thought he had ridden the initial foul and then made a decision to fall over. It’s entirely possible that was the case, but there’s no way they can know that so in these situations it’s a simple decision. Is there significant contact? Yes. Then it’s a pen. No ifs ands or buts, it’s just a fucking pen. It didn’t cost us in the end because we won the game, but that’s two in a week that Mo should have had now.
By this point the game had become more of an even contest. We weren’t creating much and neither were they, not legitimately anyway. Then we got a corner and just like that, 1-0. Sadio’s movement makes it, as he steals in to get a stooping flick on into a danger area. Fabinho arrives right on cue and although his first effort hits Pope in the chest, he reacts quickly to poke in the rebound.
I fucking love being set-piece specialists you know. It’s such a huge weapon to have in close games. You won so many cheap points if you can score regularly from corners and we’ve taken three points here solely because we’re boss at set-pieces. We’d almost scored earlier when Sadio got on the end of a Trent free-kick only for his snapshot to go straight at Pope.
When they weren’t being caught offside Burnley were having some occasional joy with balls over the top. They were playing into the wind so it was tricky for Alisson to know whether to stick or twist. If he comes out and the ball holds up, that’s going to be a problem and he was faced with that dilemma when a ball was knocked in behind to Weghorst. Normally Alisson would be out and clearing it, but he retreated this time (probably wisely) and was grateful to see Weghorst make a mess of the finish.
That was probably the last time Burnley seriously threatened. We took the lead soon after and that was that. Very little happened in the second half. We looked much better when Thiago and Jota replaced Hendo and Mané and we should have killed the game off on the break late on when Salah finally broke free of the shackles Pieters had put on him, but he badly undercut the pass to Jota who had to wait for out and was challenged as he tried to get the shot away. Poor from Mo and he knew, as he beat the turf in frustration with himself.
It was just one of those days for the forwards but thankfully it didn’t matter because we won the game. I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if the frontline went mad in midweek against Inter and tore them to pieces, because we know they’ve got that in them and its rare they misfire two games running. It probably won’t be the same front three as Jota will surely come back in. Diaz might too, although I feel like Norwich next Saturday is the more likely start for him.
I thought Keita had a pretty good game. He wasn’t anything special but there was absolutely nothing to criticise. He did everything well I thought. That third midfield spot is up for grabs at the moment due to Hendo not being himself. He’s just a little bit off recently and this wasn’t good from him. As I said, he started really well but it got away from him. He picked up a knock in the first half and it looked like he might have to go off. Whether that was the reason for his struggles or not I don’t know, but it was no shock when he was replaced by Thiago.
Hendo had only 50% pass completion, which is dreadful really. He’s always going to have a lower percentage than a Fabinho or Keita, or Thiago even, simply because he plays more adventurous passes and also whips in several crosses a game. He put in one first time half volley cross in the first half that was fucking ridiculous. Sadio should have attacked it better but I don’t think he was expecting it and was caught on his heels a bit.
That was sublime by Hendo though so I think talk of his ‘struggles’ has been exaggerated, but he’s definitely not at his best currently. With Fabinho and Thiago now looking like absolute shoe ins for two of those three spots, Hendo needs to regain his top form if he’s going to play as often as he expects. I have no doubt he will because nobody proves their doubters wrong more than Hendo.
In the meantime though, it’s good that we have so many other options we can call on. I think Hendo will play in Milan but then next weekend we’ll surely see Harvey starting again, like he was earlier in the season. It’s mad just how many options Klopp has now that everyone is available. Jones, Gomez, Minamino and Origi couldn’t even make a nine man bench for this one. Staggering depth that is.
Star man isn’t easy but I think it has to be a defensive choice. Alisson was boss even though most of his good work was not really needed. Both centre backs stood up to the challenge well but I’m going with Fabinho who did a lot of great work on second balls and aerial challenges, while also popping up in the box to win us the game.
So on we go. Another win to prevent City from getting further ahead. That’s all we can do. Just keep winning and hoping. City’s next three games are Spurs at home, Everton away and United at home. They should win all three but my gut feeling is they’ll drop points somewhere. Maybe not a loss, but even a draw will do at this point. Let’s try and chip away at them and see what happens.
Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson (Thiago), Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mané (Jota):
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