We waited three months for THAT?? Jesus. Even allowing for rustiness and the fact that Goodison derby games are usually dire, this was unexpectedly woeful. Suddenly the whole ‘scrap the season and decide it on points per game’ doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world.
Seriously though, I don’t know what I was expecting but obviously it must have been too much because this was a really tough watch. I was far too wound up about it considering how far ahead we are and that there really wasn’t too much riding on the result. I’ll be honest, I was fucking fuming for most of this game even though I can see that's not a rational or fair reaction.
I thought we’d batter them without their rabid home crowd hissing them on and dragging every last ounce of effort from their players. We always twat them at Anfield but at their place it’s a different story. I put that down to their crowd. Turns out that has fuck all to do with it.
There was very little difference between this game and other recent Goodison derbies. We usually create one or two clear chances (this time we didn't) but generally the pattern of the game has been exactly like this one.
I’ve always put it down to their players getting energised by their baying, frothing at the mouth, consumed by hating the redshite fans, but now we know different. For whatever reason, we’re just shite at Goodison. It’s the same at Old Trafford too. Why I have no idea, but the evidence is there for all to see.
Of course there are mitigating circumstances for this performance, not least the three month lay off that makes this and the next few games almost pre-season fixtures. “Our identity is our intensity” said Pep Ljinders earlier this season. If that’s true then we’re going to look like imposters for a while, because it’s next to impossible to achieve our usual level of intensity after such a long lay off and without a crowd to provide the adrenaline.
This is completely understandable, yet I didn’t think it was just the lack of intensity that was our problem at Goodison. It was more a lack of quality and of ideas. Jordan Pickford barely had to extend his little arms all night. He made saves from two free-kicks and I think that was it.
In open play we created absolutely nothing. Ancelotti clearly knows how to set up against us as any time Klopp has faced his teams it’s been a war of attrition. I don’t know what he does that makes it so difficult as my eye isn’t trained enough in that area. He plays with two up front and two banks of four behind, but other teams do that too and have been swept away by us.
Whatever Ancelotti does seems to work though. He’s a wily old fucker and obviously being Italian he knows about blanket defending. I give credit where it’s due but I also think the way we played was equally if not more responsible for how easy it looked for them.
A central defensive pairing of Keane and Holgate managed to restrict us to virtually no shots on goal in open play. That's criminal. Ancelotti is good, but that’s as much on our failings as it is anything else as those two are fucking woeful, especially that donkey Keane.
The game started in farcical circumstances with our lads having to change in a porta-cabin in the car park and then walk onto the pitch from a side entrance. The Blues, meanwhile, had their usual dressing room and came out through the tunnel. Imagine Wimbledon making Roger Federer take to centre court by climbing through the crowd after getting changed in the bogs. It’s not acceptable. We’re the World Champs.
Fucking tramps with their shitty old rickety stadium. Our lads resembled a Sunday league side as they walked onto the field. Little did we know they’d then play like one afterwards.
Then we had the kick off and everyone taking a knee. Everyone except Mané that is, who on the whistle took off sprinting into the Everton half and then had to sheepishly run back before kneeling!
As it turns out, these farcical scenes were a sign of what was to come. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was. Hugely. This wasn’t how I expected it to go at all. All week I’ve been thinking that we’d batter Everton. I’d talked myself into a 4-0 or 5-1 win.
My reasoning was sound enough I think.
Firstly, we’re like a million points ahead of them and are clearly a much better side.
Secondly, they wouldn’t have their fans there which in theory was a big disadvantage for them (in reality it made zero difference).
Thirdly, and this one was probably a stretch on my part, I thought we’d be miles fitter than everyone we faced because of how professional we are. I figured that the forensic attention to detail from Klopp, his staff and the players would give us an edge over most if not all other teams.
Fourthly, and this one is ridiculous on reflection, I’d been taken in by the hype of all the training videos on LFCTV and the reports about how sensational the likes of Keita and Minamino have been.
So yeah I expected an easy win, but in my defence I did reassess that when I saw that there was no Robbo or Mo in the starting line up. I looked at the team we’d picked and suddenly I was thinking 1-0 rather than 5-1.
That may show a lack of faith on my part in the players not normally in the first eleven, but really my concern was only about one position. I’m fine with Milner at left back and I was fully on board with the selection of Keita (I’d have left Fabinho out rather than Wijnaldum but that’s neither here nor there). It was the absence of Salah and the inclusion of Minamino that was largely responsible for the complete disappearance of my bravado, and I’d say the way the game went justified how I felt.
Minamino has been getting rave reviews for what he’s done in training and I was made up when we signed him as he looked brilliant when he played against us for Salzburg. He’s a boss little player but I’m struggling to see what he’s ever going to bring playing wide in the front three. He’s virtually the complete opposite of Salah and Mané.
We’ve got a way of playing that is very successful and a massive part of that is the thrust and threat in behind we have from the two players either side of Firmino. It works so well because Bobby likes to drop off, and we then have two players who can burst into the space behind, while the full backs then utilise the space vacated out wide.
Minamino isn’t that type of player. He’s a nice little footballer but where does he fit into this team? He spent all of his time in this game coming short to get the ball and link up with people, and the contrast with what Salah does couldn’t have been more striking.
I wouldn’t say Minamino had a bad game. He didn’t do much wrong and he worked hard, but there was nothing he did that a kid from the Academy couldn’t have done. Neat and tidy, kept it simple, ran around a lot. Offered virtually no goal threat. To be fair no-one else did either.
I’m just struggling to see what we’re going to get from him though, as while he’s clearly a good player can you ever see him dislodging anybody from this current team? I don’t even know what position he’s suited to. The only spot that looks like it might suit how he plays is Bobby’s.
I actually think he might be a better midfielder than forward but we’re so well stocked in that area he’s unlikely to ever get a chance to prove it. Most of his opportunities will probably come in the wide positions because when you delve beneath the first choice players there’s not really anything there.
This is why I didn’t want Timo Werner. If you’ve been reading the diary then you’ll be as bored of reading my views on that that topic as I am of writing them. The point is though, we desperately need another top quality player to compete / rotate with the current front three, but to me it needs to be someone who plays wide.
I don’t want a centre forward who can ‘do a job’ out wide (like poor old Divock who is always shunted out there), I want a specialist. Someone of a similar standard to Salah and Mané. I’m aware that’s not an easy thing to find, but that is what we need. I don’t think Werner is an accomplished enough footballer to play that role, which is why I’m glad we didn’t sign him. Time will tell if that was a mistake or not.
We need someone though, as you can see the fucking monumental drop off whenever one of the front three isn’t available. It hasn't held us back because the front three have stayed largely injury free, but that won't go on indefinitely and it needs addressing this close season.
Like I say, Minamino did next to nothing but Ox came on and somehow managed to do even less, which was quite an impressive feat. Ox is shite in a front three though. Always has been. I don’t expect much more than what we got from him as he just isn’t a viable option to play there. Shaq is a good quality back up for that spot but he’s had the longest calf injury in the history of the world. Perhaps that’s a result of him having the biggest calves in the world?
We missed Salah so much in this game. Even when he’s shite he offers that threat in behind and can stretch teams. Everton’s defenders won’t have had an easier game all season. All they had to worry about was not letting Mané run at them, and they surrounded (and usually fouled) him every time he got the ball, rendering him largely ineffective.
I’m trying to think of anything good we did in attacking areas and I’m struggling. There was one nice little run from Keita in which he played a couple of one twos. I think that ended with Minamino having a shot blocked, but I might be wrong. I also remember a decent move that ended with Bobby scuffing a left foot shot wide when he should have rolled in Keita.
Matip put a free header wide from a corner and Trent had a free-kick saved by Pickford but other than that there was nothing. And speaking of free-kicks, I was irrationally fucking seething when Trent opted to cross it to nobody rather than taking on a shot with the first free-kick of the game.
I can’t even tell you how pissed off I was about that, as taking a shot was just common sense to me. It was the obvious thing to do. With a slippy pitch and a shit goalkeeper who has a history of making mistakes against us, you try a fucking shot and make him save it.
Hendo was stood right there over the ball and I blame him rather than Trent for that debacle, as he should have been telling him to have a go and see what happens. We didn’t shoot anywhere near enough all game. Pickford is shite, put him under pressure until he cracks.
Anyway, I was a lot angrier about that free-kick than I had a right to be, but I felt like that virtually all game. I don’t know why I had a such a cob on as with a 23 point lead I certainly can’t justify it, but I found the whole experience to be utterly infuriating. And the longer the game went on the more pissed off I became.
The only period of the game when I was relatively calm was in the opening exchanges of the second half when we looked to be in total control and ready to turn the screw. We had a little spell where we were knocking on the door but then the subs started coming on and it killed any momentum we may have been building.
It’s not like we were creating any real chances but it did feel that maybe we were about to, if that makes sense. We certainly seemed to have a bit more urgency at the start of the second half.
There was one lovely move when Matip ambled forward into the right wing area and picked out Keita on the edge of the box. He popped a ball into Firmino who chested it back into his path. I’m not sure if Keita was going for goal with his volley or if he tried to find Mané at the back post. Whatever, he did neither as he managed to get caught between the two. It did come to him at an awkward height though.
I think that might have been the last time we even remotely threatened until Fabinho saw a decent free-kick tipped over by Pickford. We don’t usually see him on set-pieces but that was a decent effort. Maybe he’ll get another chance, as I do feel we all vastly over-rate how good Trent is at free-kicks. He’s alright like, but he’s not the lethal dead ball specialist he’s portrayed as (here’s hoping I’ve reverse jinxed him there and he pings one into the top corner against Palace or City).
Other than the defeat at Watford this was comfortably our worst performance of the season but after a three month break it is entirely understandable and excusable. The anger I was feeling during the game was not justified at all just based on that fact alone. Three months is a long fucking time and my expectations were not in sync with that.
Shit, for this team three weeks is an eternity. We were shite against Spurs in the Champions League final after a break and we’re always off the pace whenever we have any time off during the winter (usually after warm weather training camps during FA Cup weekends). So three months?
On reflection, it was completely unrealistic to expect any different really. And it might be several weeks before we start to look anything like our usual selves. The good thing is that with Alisson and Van Dijk back there we should still be fairly secure in defence but it might be a while before the goals start flowing, especially as I expect we’ll see a lot of rotation over the coming weeks as Klopp tries to avoid injuries.
We’re already suffering on that front. Salah and Robbo have hardly trained all week and missed this one, Milner did his hamstring early on and Matip also had to go off later on after having his toe stepped on.
We’re soon going to have a spell of four games in nine days, so by that point we’ll probably have the kids out there and at least one of those games might resemble an FA Cup line up. Before that though we will ideally have picked up the points we need.
One thing I didn’t get about this was why Mo was even on the bench. If he can’t get on when we’re allowed five subs that tells me that there was never any intention to use him. That being the case then leave him out altogether, as with Robbo. Seeing Mo sat there while we looked to the likes of Minamino, Ox and Origi for inspiration was pretty deflating.
The five sub thing will take some getting used to and I thought some of Klopp’s changes were a little odd. Gomez for Milner was enforced and we had no better option available. That was fine and I thought Joe did as well as could have been expected. Can’t be expecting him to replicate what Robbo does but he at least tried to offer us width and got forward regularly.
Ox for Minamino I didn’t like. I had no qualms with Minamino being replaced as it was an obvious call, but as I’ve said countless times I don’t see the point in putting Ox in the front three as the performance we got from him is similar to what we usually see. The good games are the outliers. Generally he stinks there.
Wijnaldum for Keita was another one I didn’t get, although I can put that down to fitness reasons and them wanting to ensure Naby doesn’t tweak something. There was no footballing reason to make that change though as he was our most dangerous player, although that’s damning him with the faintest of praise given how shit the rest were. It’s like being the smartest contestant on Love Island.
Origi for Bobby seemed a bit like change for changes sake to me. Divock is the Everton slayer. They’re petrified of him and he obviously feels good about facing them. He should have started. Failing that, he should have been the one to replace Minamino.
In fairness he was shite in the time he did get, but yet again he was put out wide and Sadio was moved to centre forward. WHY? Just fucking why? Origi is a goalscorer. He’s a finisher. He’s got limitations but that’s the thing he’s good at. Why maroon him out wide and ask him do what Salah or Mané do?
Bringing him on for Firmino and then sticking him out wide just fucked up what little attacking shape we had and after that we were just completely disjointed.
The worst change made though was Lovren for Matip. That made no sense to me at all. Obviously ol’ Big Bird couldn’t carry on, but drop Fabinho back there and get Salah or Elliott on and try to do something a bit different in attack. Alternatively, move Gomez inside and let Neco have a go at left back to see if he could make something happen.
Instead we got Lovren coming on in catastrophe mode and he immediately handed the initiative to Everton. Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison had barely had a kick since the opening ten minutes but all of a sudden they both came into the game and Everton began getting chances.
Prior to that all I can remember is Richarlison getting in on the break a couple of times. The first occasion saw him fire one across goal from a tight angle. I think Alisson got the slightest touch on that and if he hadn’t it may have been on target, I’m not sure. The second time he got in he shit himself and ballooned it miles over the bar into the top tier of the Gwladys Street. Virgil probably had a little chuckle over that.
When Matip went off though our composure seemed to go with him and really we ought to have lost this game. That wasn’t solely on Lovren as others began giving the ball away cheaply which put him on the back foot, but nevertheless he was fucking brutal.
Everton’s front two had gotten no change whatsoever out of Van Dijk and Matip (whose passing out from the back was impeccable) but then Lovren arrived and just like that Everton had two great chances to score.
Three actually, as Calvert-Lewin could have done better with a back post header after Lovren had been beaten to a corner by Mason fucking Holgate. *shakes head*
The other two chances though were much clearer. First, Richarlison got in down Lovren’s side and put in a cross for his strike partner who back heeled it goalwards, forcing Alisson into a smart save.
Then Richarlison got in again and left Lovren on his arse before getting his shot away. Again Alisson came to the rescue but Davies seized on the rebound and seemed certain to score. Gomez threw himself at it and got the slightest touch which diverted it onto the post.
I defend Lovren more than most but it was not a co-incidence that the game turned completely on its head from the moment he came on. He more than anyone in the squad relies on rhythm and regular games and when he comes in from the cold he usually struggles.
He was so rusty you could hear him creaking even over the shite fake crowd noise used by sky. Turns out that booting your kid in the back garden isn’t good preparation for facing Richarlison as the toddler cries less and is more difficult to put on the floor.
Everton had barely even been in our half all night yet they could have scored three times in the brief period Lovren was on. Thankfully they didn’t and so their ten year wait for a derby win goes on. That’s just about the only positive thing to take from this shitshow. That and the fact we’re one point closer to the title.
It’s good to finally have the Reds back but the next game can’t come quickly enough for me as I want to just completely forget this one ever happened. Palace isn’t going to be easy though, especially if we play anything like this. Unless we improve significantly they’ll beat us because they’re better than Everton.
Winning the title is the main thing of course but I did have my sights set on the highest points total ever. I don’t think that’s going to be possible now as we’ve been completely derailed by this break and the rest of the season may well resemble a load of pre-season friendlies, with changes galore and no atmosphere at any of the games.
This is better than nothing of course, but it’s not the same and the sooner we can all get back into Anfield the better. The whole experience was very unfulfilling and it’s not just because we played shite (although if we'd beaten them 4-0 I doubt I'd be dwelling so much on this). What is clear beyond any doubt is that football without fans is nothing. Even when it’s Everton fans.
The games I’ve watched so far just haven’t been the same. So far I’ve watched with the fake crowd noise switched off, but I had no choice but to suffer it this time because that was only service offered on Pick TV. I absolutely hate it though, I’d rather listen to the nothingness of the empty stadium as this fake shit is terrible.
At least they knew to add booing any time a decision went our way, but it’s just shit. And what was with the Everton PA announcing the subs on and off? Whose benefit was that for? Presumably the handful of journalists in the stands, but give them some fucking credit here. They cover these teams for a living, they know who the players are. Are we going to have George doing that? Hope not, let the poor guy have the rest of the season off.
I thought I’d be happy that football is back but the main thing I’m feeling is relief. I'm relieved that they can’t take our title away from us and relieved that we will be able to win it on the field. It’s hard to be happy about football in its current guise though. Or maybe that's just me?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about how any of it is being handled as the football authorities are making the best of the awful hand that’s been dealt. It’s good that they’ve been able to get things going again and I don’t think there’s anything else that could be done to make ‘the product’ any better. I'm not pointing fingers or being ungrateful.
I’m just saying, it’s shit without fans and it’s hard for players when they’ve not played for three months. It isn’t the same but I accept that there’s no way it could be. Hopefully the quality gets better when the players get their match legs under them, but the sooner things get back to ‘normal’ the better.
There was some argument afterwards between the Sky pundits as to whether Everton deserved to win the game. Interestingly, Tim Cahill (and Calvert-Lewin) both said a draw was fair, while Carragher said Everton deserved to win.
I see both sides of this really. We had most of the ball but we did fuck all with it. And we only had so much of the ball because they didn’t want it. It’s not like we were just so good they couldn’t get a kick. They were happy to sit back in their two banks of four and play for a clean sheet.
So does a team with such a negative approach ‘deserve’ to win a game? It really does depend on how you look at it. I’d say a draw was a fair result because both teams were fucking awful going forward, but in terms of carrying out their gameplan Everton were miles better than us.
Everton didn’t try to win the game, they sat back and frustrated us and hoped to nick something on the break because they believed that was their best chance of getting a positive result. And it so nearly worked.
When it comes to carrying out their manager’s instructions they did a hell of a lot better job than our lads did. Those instructions were so negative though that it’s hard to say they deserved more than they got.
Given how shite we were maybe they should be looking at this as an opportunity missed. Perhaps if they’d shown a bit of ambition they’d have won but I doubt they care because they’ve got another famous draw they can celebrate for a few months like they did last season.
On reflection, a derby was not ideal for the first game back after such a long lay off. Facing Ancelotti’s blanket defence is not what we needed. It’s a shame we didn’t have an easier fixture, like facing the likes of Arsenal or Norwich to ease ourselves back in.
It doesn’t get any easier either. Palace are one of the last teams I’d want to face in the current circumstances with no Anfield crowd to spur us on. If they score first it’ll be a long fucking night on Wednesday.
Then it’s City, which is always tough but will be even more difficult while we’re still in pre-season shape. I thought City would struggle due to a lack of motivation but I think I’ve misjudged that one.
The pace of these games is nothing like normal and nobody is more suited to this than City who can just keep the ball and keep probing and probing. City’s fans haven’t contributed anything to their success, whereas our lads are definitely helped by the crowd and the little bit extra we give them when they need it. A lack of atmosphere doesn't hurt City as it's business as usual.
The success we’ve had against City has mostly been at Anfield and it’s largely due to our high tempo, adrenaline fuelled heavy metal football which is helped massively by the turbo charged atmosphere. We haven’t played as well at the Etihad but our high energy style has still given City lots of problems. Can we produce that after such a long lay off? We’ll see I guess. This is uncharted territory for everyone so we don’t really know anything yet.
Thankfully the stakes are nowhere near as high as they might have been. Imagine going into the City game with a five point lead or something? I shudder even thinking about it. At least we only need five more points from eight games, so it should be fairly stress free even if the next couple of games don’t go well.
Star man is Matip, just ahead of Keita. As for the rest, I thought Hendo was ok, so was Virg, Fabinho overcame a terrible start to have a decent game and…. actually that’s it really. Oh, credit to Alisson for being there when we needed him.
Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip (Lovren), Van Dijk, Milner (Gomez); Fabinho, Henderson, Keita (Wijnaldum); Minamino (Oxlade-Chamberlain), Firmino (Origi), Mané:
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