I’m usually ultra confident before most of our games but I had a bad feeling prior to this one as Watford isn’t an easy place to go, especially after an international break. I also worried that we were due a defeat.
So it was a trap game but in the end it was fairly routine. We had to earn the right to play though, and the first half was a complete non-event. I’m starting to think this is part of the plan though. We're pacing ourselves more than before, and hopefully that pays off down the stretch.
The approach to games like this seems to be a bit different this year. I never thought at any point that we were playing well but I suspect this is almost by design. We definitely aren’t going out all guns blazing anymore. We’re controlling games, being patient (overly so at times), keeping the ball and not giving anything away.
Case in point; we drew 3-3 here last season and we had quite a few of those wild games over the course of the year. So far this year we’ve had none. We’re not a soft touch anymore and we don’t fold under pressure.
There has been an obvious change in approach and defending seems to be more of a priority than it was before. Obviously Van Dijk has made a massive difference but it’s not solely because of him. It just feels like we’re taking defending more seriously than before and there's a real pride in keeping clean sheets.
Robbo revealed afterwards that the gameplan was keep it tight and eventually chances will come when the game opens up a bit. That’s exactly how this one played out and we took three of the chances that came our way and had a comfortable win.
We’ve only conceded five goals in 13 games, which is incredible really. When was the last time we were this tight at the back? There was a spell under Rafa around 2006 ish when I think we went eight games without conceding or something like that, but generally this isn’t what we do.
It has come at a slight cost as the football is not as free flowing as it was last year and the games are therefore not as manic. There’s much more control about what we’re doing and although it’s not as exciting to watch it’s proving to be very effective. We haven’t lost and the only teams to stop us winning are City, Arsenal and Chelsea.
It’s easy to look at things from that upbeat perspective after we’ve won, but I have to admit that during the games I’m sometimes finding it difficult not to get pissed off. By full time I was made up - I’ll take a 3-0 win all day regardless of how we play - but for a long part of the game this was a difficult watch and I was getting frustrated, especially in the first half.
It was too easy for Watford as everything we did was in front of them. We got behind once when Mane made a good run and was expertly picked out by Shaqiri. It was a decent effort but an easy save for Foster, who also denied Salah at the far post after Mo had ghosted in unmarked to meet a corner. Chances were at a premium though despite us having complete domination of the ball.
I know it’s hard when teams sit back like that but we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to move the ball quicker and get down the sides. 90% of the goals City score come that way and it does my head in. They’ll overload on side and get someone in behind and score a tap in from a low ball across the box. That’s why they're so good at spanking the shite teams. That's how you break them down and I’m sick of saying it. Move it quickly, overload out wide, flood the box.
We didn’t do it at all in the first half but as soon as we did manage it, lo and behold we took the lead. It was a well worked goal but there was nothing especially complicated about it and we should be doing this more often. Bobby played a nicely weighted ball in behind to Mané, he cut it back and Mo scored with a first time shot (that Foster should have saved). That's how you beat them, get round the back.
Trent then made it 2-0 with a lovely free-kick. Again, I thought Foster should have done better but I’m not complaining. Beautiful strike and it’s been coming as he's gone close a few times over the past year. Hopefully he can bag a few more before the season is done as having a free-kick specialist is a nice little addition to a team's armoury. If Trent can bang in three or four more and if Virgil can start getting some goals from corners that could be massive for us.
At 2-0 we were cruising, but then Hendo was sent off for impeding Success. He can consider himself a little unfortunate as according to LFC Twitter he’s been doing that since he got here, but it doesn’t usually cost him a red card.
It had been on the cards as his head seemed to have gone for some reason. He was fine until he got an unfair booking and lost the plot. He was in front of his man but was pulled back by the shirt. When he responded in kind he was given a yellow card. After that he was constantly sniping at Fat Jon Moss and his assistants and kept committing niggly holding fouls.
Moss would have been within his rights to send him off a minute earlier after he pulled someone back and then aimed a volley of abuse at the linesman. Moss called him over, gave him a final warning and then within no time Hendo was stopping a Watford break by taking out Success as he ran down the left touchline. He didn’t even wait for the card, he just walked off the field as he knew what was coming.
Klopp had seen it coming too and had Fabinho ready to come on but he didn’t get the chance to do it before it was too late. I don’t know what was behind Hendo’s frustration and lack of discipline, but it’s cost him his place in the derby next week.
Had we only been one goal ahead I'd have been worried about going a man down but the second goal had made it safe as there was no way Watford were scoring two. They rarely looked capable of even getting one but you just never know.
They had a decent penalty shout earlier when Hughes went down under a challenge from Robbo. Everyone held their breath there, but for once Moss did us a favour and ignored it. He could have given it as it looked like there was contact, even if Hughes clearly made a meal of it.
That was a rare moment of alarm in what was a dominant defensive effort. No wonder Troy Deeney hates playing against Big Virg. He was completely anonymous.
Alisson had to make one decent save in the first half but otherwise the only anxious moment he had was one he gave himself with a sloppy ball to Firmino that almost cost us.
Not good from the keeper, but how the fuck have we ended up in a situation where Firmino is coming so deep that he’s having the keeper roll it into him? I don’t like him in this number ten role as it doesn’t look like he knows where he’s supposed to be or what he’s meant to be doing.
He’s coming too deep because he’s trying to get involved and play like “a number ten”. It’s not working, not in an attacking sense anyway. The defensive record speaks for itself, although we were just as solid when playing 4-3-3 so I think it's more about the mentality and concentration rather than formation.
The change in system (and positions) is hurting Firmino more than most. He scored 30 goals from centre forward last season. Why move him? He did score our third goal in this game (after a phenomenal counter attack led by Robbo), but he may have been back up front at that point, as Milner had come on for Shaq but to be honest I didn't really notice if we'd gone back to 4-3-3 or not, I'd have to watch it back.
Mo is still getting a goal every game from the number nine position but he scored 44 goals last season almost exclusively from the right flank, so why not leave him there?
It feels as though this entire system change is so we can get Shaqiri into the side. There's no doubt that he needs to play as his creativity and passing ability makes us a lot less predictable, but this 4-2-3-1 isn’t really clicking for any of the forwards, Shaqiri included who is wasted stuck out wide.
Klopp obviously doesn’t feel he can play Shaqiri in a midfield three and he knows far more about that than I do. I just don’t think this is the way forward long term and I hope it’s only a temporary solution.
I'm probably sounding more negative than I'm intending to here, and I'm aware that it’s ridiculous to be picking holes in anything given the position we’re in and the results we’ve had. I think there’s a slight frustration there though because it just doesn’t look quite right yet. The results are great, the clean sheets are fantastic and we are still scoring goals at a good rate. It just looks like we’ve been in second or third gear for most of the season so far, which I suppose is a good thing as long as we eventually pick it up again.
Ordinarily we’d be ecstatic about what is happening but it’s hard to ignore the big financial doping elephant in the room. It’s a little demoralising that despite this great run we’ve had we’re still two points behind them, but it must be demoralising for them too. Probably even more so when you think about it.
I mean, we’re watching our team and thinking “we can play much better than this” while they’re absolutely flying and dominating in a way that probably hasn’t been done before (except by them last season). Despite how sensational they’ve been, they can’t shake us off and we’re right there on their shoulder. They’ve been steamrollering everyone, but they’re one slip up away from being overtaken by us. That’s got to be doing their head in.
So as easy as it is to get disheartened with them winning every game by four, five, six whatever, ultimately it really doesn’t matter. I'd rather they win 10-0 than 1-0 because when it's 1-0 we have hope, and it's the hope that kills you.
Besides, all these easy wins may lead to complacency and when they do find themselves in a tough game it could be tougher because they aren't 'battle hardened'.
We aren’t clawing back that goal difference no matter what happens, so they can win by six or seven every week and it doesn’t mean anything. As long as we keep finding ways to get three points it’s going to be more head wrecking for them than us. We need to be the itch they can’t scratch and so far we’re doing a great job of it.
Star man is Virgil. Robbo was boss too, as was Lovren. Trent improved the longer the game went and I think the front three were probably better than I initially gave them credit for in the match ratings. It’s difficult not to judge them on what they did last season and when they aren’t hitting those heights I’m probably being overly critical of them.
It’s their own fault for setting such a high bar though.
Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Shaqiri (Milner), Firmino (Matip), Mane; Salah (Fabinho):
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