Jump to content
tlw content
tlw content

Manchester City 1 Liverpool 1 (Nov 25 2023)

    matchreportheader.jpg

     

Before the game I’d have been made up with a point. After the game, I am made up with the point, especially as we had to come from behind to get it. That doesn’t mean I thought we played well though. We were ok, there were plenty of things to like about this, but we were nowhere near our best. Neither were City, despite Guardiola’s protestations to the contrary.

 

The early kick off after an international break just doesn’t do this game justice. The Premier League are a fucking joke, letting the Manchester bizzies dictate to them like that. This is their showpiece game and it’s been watered down in quality by that kick off time. This isn’t sour grapes as I don’t think it hampered us any more than them. I’m just saying that neither team were near their best level and the spectacle suffered because of it.

 

We got a point though and that’s all that matters. It’s a better result for us than them, especially given they had the lead and were at home. They’d have expected to win from there, I mean, they literally do win all of their home games. Every single one in 2023, in all competitions. Until now. That’s why we should be happy. I wouldn’t be happy to settle for a draw at any other venue (maybe Arsenal currently) but City are better than us and our record there is shit. So this is a really nice result.

 

As for the performance, it’s a weird one because we deserved a draw and did not get outplayed, so we must have played pretty well. If we hadn’t then they’d have taken us to the cleaners like they do everybody else at the Etihad. Yet I couldn’t help but feeling a bit frustrated by our play, particularly going forward where we did not make the most of countless decent situations that should have been converted into decent chances.

 

That has to be a good thing though big picture wise. Going to City and getting a deserved draw without playing anywhere near as well as we can does make you wonder what might have happened if we had played somewhere near our best. Equally though, we didn’t get City on their best day and they were without De Bruyne and Grealish, who along with Son have probably been the biggest thorns in our side in recent seasons. 

 

I didn’t think there was anything surprising in Klopp’s team selection. Maybe Konate over Matip, but he’s not played much of late and Joel is in a better rhythm so I’d have leaned that way too. Curtis coming back in made sense because he keeps the ball and he’s our best presser. It didn’t work out like that in hindsight, but the selection made sense. Jota for Diaz was a coin flip really, but I’d have gone for Jota too. He was crap, but there was no way of knowing he would be as he’s been doing well lately.

 

City were able to welcome back all of the players who missed the international games through injury. How about that eh? They all played the full ninety too. No matter how much he wins, Liverpool will always be front and centre in Guardiola’s mind. Sneaky cheating bald fuck.


User Feedback

Recommended Comments

Fantastic article, Dave. Mostly spot on. An enjoyable read, even the bits I probably didn't agree with. And thanks again for pointing out the flaw Alisson has with his kicking.

 

He's actually isnt terrible at it but he definitely has that as his weak spot, because his kicking very often isn't assured. It leads to us giving away a couple chances every few games, which many fans tend to ignore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

He’s boss. Remember him kicking off at that cunt assistant manager of Newcastle after Carvalho’s late winner last season? That’s my boy right there, making me proud. 

Possibly my favourite Nunez moment that. Barely speaks a word of English but knows when there's shit going down that's too good not to be in on, and just wades straight in shouting. A man of action not words.

 

Then he fucking buries the cunts and breaks Tindall's sunbed bronzed heart this season. Lovely stuff.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Akanji pulls Ali’s arm so deffo a foul. And he fouled him again before the game finished so it looks like a Citeh ploy. 
 

As a slightly irrelevant aside, Haaland looks like his mum shagged a troll. 

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Barnesey said:

Akanji pulls Ali’s arm so deffo a foul. And he fouled him again before the game finished so it looks like a Citeh ploy. 
 

As a slightly irrelevant aside, Haaland looks like his mum shagged a troll. 

 

 

Yep, their intention was to foul Alisson and see if the ref would be conned into thinking "the goalie should have been stronger there". I think we probably should have a put a defender next to Akanji to stop him doing it again and again.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great report as usual, Dave.

 

The defending was awful on Ake.

 

You could see Trent did a good job on Doku when the City player went past Maca so easily at the end of the game.

 

Great and fair result.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alisson has a habit of miscues with his feet against City, as you said in the pod. 

 

I thought Matip gave the ball away too many times too but he wasn't alone.

 

Very average game for all the reasons you give, happy with the point for sure and stopping them getting a record is icing on that cake.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I felt pretty much the same way - very pleased to take a point, equally pleased that there wasn't much of a gap between the teams, happy that game is now out of the way. I was a bit frustrated that we failed to get a chance or shot from several very promising situations in the first half when we broke their press.

Referring back to the Trent discussion here and on the podcast...... the inverted position has coincided with a strong run of form at the end of last season and this...... but it also coincided with the returns of Jones, Jota and Diaz and the massive improvement in our pressing. And this season, we've also got the upgrade across the whole midfield. Trent as a straight midfielder....? What formation do you go with? If he's one of three in our traditional 4-3-3 - well, I think we got a flavour of that with the City goal. Far too often, opponents can just ghost past him, especially in central areas. Contrast Dom (who was also weak in this instance), breaking a gut to get back, with Trent who was jogging and overtaken by Dom. I'm glad it's Juergen's problem and not mine. But what a great strike by Trent, and it's good that we've now got a few players prepared to have shots from around the edge of the box, something we were lacking for a few seasons.

And City - bunch of cunts, pretty much to a man, not surprising with that weird cunt as manager. Rodri, with his penalty appeal, Foden with his dying swan act....and then there's Bernard the Rat....

Oh, and it's a clear foul - you can't pull a goalie's arm in the act of catching the ball, but kudos to Kavanagh, again.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a note on Fraudiola, after it calmed down he goes around groping our players, he hangs onto their arms so they can't escape, like some crazy in the town centre. They have to listen and pretend to be ok with it. Klopp just slaps palms with the opposition and moves on.

Baldy really is some little elf like freak. Weido

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Barnesey said:

Akanji pulls Ali’s arm so deffo a foul. And he fouled him again before the game finished so it looks like a Citeh ploy. 
 

As a slightly irrelevant aside, Haaland looks like his mum shagged a troll. 

Or perhaps his dad did? 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Continuing our strange form this season where we go from one game to another not knowing how the fuck we will play. 

 

There's plenty to be cheerful about generally results wise and the character of the side to keep coming back from losing positions but fuck me we are shit at times. 

 

Our passing is not elite level yet, it's all too slow or too forced. I keep hoping we will suddenly click and ping the ball around splitting defences and in control but it's not happening yet.

 

I believe in Klopp 2.0 but can't help thinking we still need a spark from somewhere outside the current squad 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know its a curse on the modern game, but the way they seemed to challenge every single decision was taking the piss. The obviously absurd penalty claim was the pinnacle, but another instance was where Ake quite clearly and without debate booted the ball out for a corner and instantly appealed to the lino for a goal kick! Wtf!! Are they so used to having things go their way?

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Paul Wright said:

Just a note on Fraudiola, after it calmed down he goes around groping our players, he hangs onto their arms so they can't escape, like some crazy in the town centre. They have to listen and pretend to be ok with it. Klopp just slaps palms with the opposition and moves on.

Baldy really is some little elf like freak. Weido

He was doing it to Virgil, holding on to his hand and Virg seem to say, what's Dutch for something along the lines of, 'behave'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 "You wasted your money there you soft cunts, just like your club has been doing."

 

Garnacho is better at managing overheads than the Everton Board are...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*pinched off blue Twitter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


×
×
  • Create New...