This probably needs to be in two parts really. The match itself and then the post match stuff. I’ll start with the game, although I don’t remember a great deal about it. It was a weird atmosphere really as we were all just very distracted, understandably so. It was loud, really loud, although there were also long lulls where it felt like the crowd were just waiting to get near the closing minutes to go for it again. I was taking more of an interest in all of that than I was the actual game if I’m honest.
The game itself was a typical end of season affair in the sunshine. We played pretty well without ever really hitting top gear, and Wolves offered very little even before being reduced to ten men. After that they offered nothing and just wanted to keep the score down, which they did in part due to our wastefulness again. It was much more of a 4-0 game than a 2-0 one, but somehow we ended up with just the two.
Klopp had selected the same team we’ve seen in the last couple of games, which meant Quansah once gain keeping out Konate, Elliott retaining his place over Szoboszlai and Gakpo getting the nod up top over Nunez. I feel like all of this would have been quite significant if Klopp was staying, but actually means nothing whatsoever because he isn’t.
Quansah ending the season as Virgil’s first choice partner is a development I don’t think any of us saw. Matip’s unfortunate injury contributed a lot to that but even so, for him to be in the side on merit ahead of Konate is something anyone could have anticipated. He’s made fucking massive strides this year and now has the distinction of scoring the last goal of the Klopp era.
When that went in just before half time nobody would have put money on it being the last goal of the game, especially against ten men. But it was, and no-one really cared as this game was about much more than the result. Just win and that’s fine. We didn’t need six or seven goals, although it would have been nice!
The players knew they needed to win and I thought they did a professional job under difficult, emotional circumstances. We started the game quite brightly but Wolves had somewhat surprisingly elected to just get everyone behind the ball and not really do much.
Cunha looked like he was up for the fight though and might have caused us some problems if they’d had a go instead of just sitting deep behind the ball. I like him, good player. Ait-Nouri too, although I have no idea what position he actually plays as he seems to have licence to pop up everywhere except in the left back spot.
Wolves had nothing to play for and I thought they’d come and give it a go, but they were ultra negative even with eleven men. That being said, they probably had the best of the chances up until the sending off, as Alisson needed to make a smart save to stop them scoring from a quick break following our set-piece.
We’d had chances too. Pretty much everything we did was coming down the left where Diaz and Robbo were lively. Harvey was drifting over there regularly too to create overloads and that looked like our most likely source of a goal. So of course it came from the other side!
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