Hey look, the Red Arrows are back! It’s been a while but their return couldn’t have been more timely. It was a must win game but we also needed a performance to lift flagging morale and to blow up the tiresome “they’re bottling it” narrative. If one defeat all season is classed as “bottling it”, I’ll have that every year.
That being said, we all know that our form hasn’t been good for a little while now and even when we were winning every game it wasn’t always dazzling. This, however, was dazzling. This was the football I remember from last season when we were blowing teams away. Speed, skill, speed, intensity, speed. Did I mention speed?
How satisfying was it seeing those lightning quick counter attacks from opposing corner kicks? That’s one of my favourite things in football; seeing us clear a corner and then everyone going “chaaaaaaarrrggge!” Even Virgil was right up there in the box for one of them late on. Exhilerrating.
I don’t care that it was ‘only Bournemouth’ and that their style of play suits us. That helped, obviously, but it wasn’t the reason we looked so good. To me it feels as though Klopp did some soul searching after Leicester and West Ham, and at the end of it he went back to the tried and trusted. Back to what he knows works; 4-3-3 with Bobby in the middle and Mo on the right.
I don’t know why he has veered away from it for so much of this season, particularly as the 4-2-3-1 has never really looked that convincing. In flashes it’s been good and it helped get us to the top of the table so there is that, but we’ve never looked as fluent playing that way as we did when we were running roughshod on all of Europe last season.
I guess despite the results there’s been a part of me this season that has kept thinking about the blistering football we saw for much of the previous campaign. Don’t get me wrong, I like how we’re winning more games than last year, but the performances have rarely been as thrilling as much of what we were treated to a year ago. This felt like a return to that. It’s only one game though, so we’ll see.
The change back to 4-3-3 was the key to it for me, and specifically how Salah and Bobby were deployed. No doubt you’re as tired of reading me complaining about the lack of width as I am about writing it, but look at the difference it made having Mo starting wide, hugging the touchline and then coming inside to open space for Milner.
By stretching the pitch like that it opened up room for others to play in. Specifically Bobby, who looked so much happier in his number nine role. It hasn’t worked as a ten. He’s had flashes here and there, but much of the time he’s looked lost and ended up coming far too deep just to get on the ball. This is his role. The role in which I wouldn’t take anybody else in world football over him. Keep him there now please, Jurgen.
The other big difference in this game was the forward running from midfield. This is something I don’t get at all. Gini can do this all day - he’s fucking brilliant at it - but we hardly ever see it. Fair enough when he’s playing as the six, but why don’t we see it when he plays in one of the two box to box roles? I’m 100% sure it’s not because he doesn’t want to do it, so it must be that he’s playing to instructions.
When he makes those runs though he causes havoc. Remember when he replaced Ox against Roma last year and absolutely destroyed them with those runs in behind? I love seeing this, but it doesn’t happen enough. The front three were great in this game but it was Gini’s runs beyond them that was the main catalyst for how good we looked in the first half.
It emerged afterwards that he’d been battling the wildies in the build up to the game, and Gini himself admitted that he had to run off as quick as he could at half time because he needed to go. I had this a couple of weeks ago and I wouldn’t even leave the house. As I mentioned in the ‘week that was’ I still somehow managed to shit myself anyway. So fair play to Gini for taking that risk in front of 60 odd thousand people and millions watching around the world on TV. What a man.
Bournemouth were ideal opponents because they have a go, they always do. That approach tends to work much better for them at home than on their travels though, and that made it easier for us than if we’d been playing Cardiff or Newcastle. The flip side to that is they have players who can really cause problems if you’re not on your game.
Thankfully two of their best ones were missing (Callum Wilson and David Brooks), but they still had the first real chance of the game when my boy Ryan Fraser cut inside and forced a save out of Alisson. They were throwing men forward when they had the chance and Jordon Ibe looked like a lad out to prove a point. He played well I thought. At least as well as it’s possible to play when you’re up against the mighty Robbo.
Maybe Bournemouth would have caused us more problems had Brooks and Wilson been available, but with the Reds in this form I don’t think they had a chance regardless of who was playing. I like Eddie Howe but he’s becoming a bit of a cry baby every time he loses to us now isn’t he?
He had a point about the offside goal we scored at their place a few months ago, but bitching over our opening goal in this game was just clutching at straws. Apparently his coaching staff told him it was clearly offside. They must have been looking at the doctored screenshots on Twitter rather than the actual video replays then, because Sadio is level. And even if he was off by an inch or two that’s hardly cause for complaint.
Mané is on a roll at the moment and is scoring every week. He should have had more than one in this game but missed a great headed chance in the second half after a delicious little chip from Gini had picked him out. One thing I’ve noticed about him recently is that he’s fucking brilliant at finding space in the box to win headers. He’s only little but his movement is fantastic and it’s making him difficult to pick up.
Against Leicester he won two headers from corners just because of his movement. If Van Dijk and Matip had that kind of movement they’d be hitting double figures easily. Of course Matip would have to learn how to head the ball on target first (head like a 50p piece that lad), but you know what I mean.
It just looked much more like us in that first half I thought. There was a vibrancy and a confidence about everything we did. Both of those things have been lacking of late. Mo was picking the ball up on the right and then looking to play one twos, usually with Bobby, and the full backs were continually getting down the sides. The corner that led to the opener came from Milner being played in behind, while Robbo was having a lot of joy on the other side too.
The thing that really got my juices flowing again though was the return of the old fast break. I remember writing last season that we’d undergone a complete 180 when it comes to opposition corners. We went from “oh shit, we’re in trouble here” to “YES! We’ve got you now!”. Virgil heads them out and if we collect that loose ball on the edge of the box, then look out, it’s the charge of the light brigade.
We had one in the first half and I think three in the second. None ended up with the ball in the net, but at least three of them should have done. The first one saw Keita find Mané, who played a perfect ball down the line to a sprinting Firmino. He collected the ball and saw Gini flying through the middle. The ball was perfect and it was set up nicely for Wijnaldum to get his shot away, but he unselfishly squared it to Salah instead. It wasn’t a great ball and Mo didn’t look like he was expecting it anyway. His shot was woeful.
Next time Gini got in behind he didn’t pass the buck, and instead produced a nonchalant little lob over Boruc to make it 2-0. Just a lovely goal that. Nice assist by Robbo and a gorgeous finish by Gini. It was the run in behind that made the goal though. As I said, I don’t know why we don’t see more of that. It’s really hard to defend because a lot of midfielders don’t like tracking those runs or simply don’t see them in time.
Steve McMahon would score double figures every year based on that type of run, and although the game has changed since then, it hasn’t changed to the point where runners from midfield don’t cause absolute chaos in a defence. This was brilliant from Gini, now let’s see him encouraged to do it every week.
Salah was within a whisker of making it 3-0 when he picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a stunning volley that Boruc just about tipped over the bar. Great technique that. We had other chances too, but it was in the second half when we really started to hit our stride and tear them apart.
It’s hard to believe we only scored one goal in that second half, because some of the football was sublime and Bournemouth just couldn’t cope. Few teams would be able to, so let’s hope this is what we’re going to see for the rest of the way now. The third goal was sexy as fuck. It might be my favourite goal of the season, at least aesthetically. Origi’s derby winner will take some beating in terms of ‘favourite’ goal, but this was glorious.
It all started with a throw in. Mané did well to collect the ball and turn out of trouble to find Keita. He saw Firmino making a run and delivered an inch perfect ball with the outside of his foot. There was a shooting opportunity for Bobby but the angle wasn’t favourable and he was being rapidly closed down by Ake. Somehow he managed to see Mo making a run behind him and he just rolled the ball backwards into his path without even looking. Salah did the rest. It was a special goal that.
Mo hit the bar after a similar move a little later. Again, the reverse pass from Firmino was glorious. Keita blasted over the bar when he should have scored and Bobby hit a tame shot at Boruc after another breathtaking counter following a Bournemouth corner. That attack summed up everything that is great about this team.
It was Virgil’s header that had cleared the initial corner but when Firmino took the final shot, who was there right next to him wanting a pass? Yeah, big Virg. I’m still annoyed at Bobby for not taking another touch and then teeing up the big man. That would have been one of the all time great goals if he’d done that.
We had another one too when once again the corner was cleared and Mo went haring off down the left. He played the ball into the box for Origi (who had come on to replace Bobby) but it was a little bit behind him and he had to slow down to collect, and ended up falling over. I’m good with us not finishing off any of those counters though because I’d rather we saved a couple for Old Trafford. Imagine scoring one of those types of breakaway goals there.
Great to see Trent back in action too and he almost marked his return with a goal after another brilliant move. The only criticism would be that we didn’t score more and boost our goal difference. We were miles behind on that front, then remarkably we pulled it back and had an edge over City, but now we’re a long way back again. Hopefully it doesn’t come down to that, as we’ve been on the wrong end of that once before and it’s the worst way to lose.
The win put us top again, albeit only for 24 hours thanks for that Chelsea, the fucking tool downing, toxic bunch of cunts. City have played a game more, thanks to the Premier League allowing them to bring forward their easiest game of the season to get extra points on the board, so we’re level on points with a game in hand, which on the surface is a great position to be in. The problem is who the game in hand is against, and where it’s going to played.
I’ve said for weeks that we’re only going to know exactly where we stand once that game is out of the way. If we’re still top after playing at Old Trafford then we’re in great shape. If we aren’t, it’s going to be tough. I mean it’s tough either way, but that game really is massive.
I’m not going to worry about any of that now though. I had a moment this week that put things in perspective and made me realise how daft I’ve been in allowing the stress of this title challenge to ruin my enjoyment of what is statistically the best season we’ve ever had to this point.
You may have read about ‘the moment’ in the week that was, but if not I’ll give you a brief explanation here. To cut a long story short I found myself unloading all of my ‘problems’ on a poor unsuspecting Blue, and at one point I actually uttered the words “being top isn’t all it’s cracked up to be”. Fucking hell, I actually said that. To a Blue!
That was the moment I knew I had to try and find some perspective and stop letting the pressure of it all ruin the enjoyment. Judging by the atmosphere in this game, I don’t think I’m alone in this (although I’m pretty sure no-one else inside Anfield will have tried to explain to an Evertonian how it’s not all champagne and roses being top of the table!) as we’ve all realised that the jitters that have engulfed a lot of the fanbase isn’t helpful, especially inside Anfield.
The crowd were great, but it’s easy to be great when the game is under control from an early stage and the result was never really in doubt. My gut feeling is the fans would have still done their job even if the game had been close, but until we’re in that position again we won’t know.
I just know I feel much better about the whole thing having hit rock bottom last week. It helps massively that the team responded the way they did and I feel much more relaxed about the whole thing now that the Red Arrows are back. If we keep playing as we can, then we won’t go far wrong. If we somehow come up short then it will be heartbreaking, but worrying about that now is pointless.
I’m not going to allow myself to dream about winning it, so why should I make myself miserable worrying about losing it? What will be, will be.
Star man is Gini, but there were strong performances all over the park. Virgil was imperious, Robbo was brilliant as usual, Milner was Milner, Matip had a solid enough game, Fabinho is just a really good player, the front three were on fire and this was the best game Keita has had.
He didn’t do anything mind blowing, but he was confident, assured, inventive, busy and was involved in pretty much everything. Made up for him, let’s hope he’s turned that corner now because if he can be the player we thought he was going to be then he could give us the little extra push we need to get over the line.
Team: Alisson; Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum (Alexander-Arnold), Keita; Salah, Firmino (Origi), Mané:
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