Watford were brutally bad though weren’t they? It was almost like someone told them they were playing Man City so they just went into roll over mode. Five was the absolute minimum we deserved from this game. On another day we might have scored eight, but I’m glad we didn’t as usually when you run up a cricket score you end up drawing a blank the next game. So if we’ve ‘saved’ a few for the next couple of games then great.
Going into this one I would have taken three points regardless of how we got them. I didn’t care if we struggled or weren’t at our best. Given the circumstances I’d have been made up to just get the points and get out of there. I mentioned this on the pod, but in the build up to this I’d started to talk myself into how tricky this game was going to be. They seemed like legitimate concerns. Coming off an international break, playing at a ground where we’ve had some terrible defensive collapses under Klopp, players missing for various reasons….
It felt like it had the potential to be trouble but the second I saw the Watford line up it was like a slap to the face to bring me back to reality. There’s no way that team were going to be able to live with us. Not a fucking chance. I hadn’t heard of half of them and the ones I did know were either shite or had seen better days.
The new manager bounce wasn’t a factor either. Watford didn’t bounce, they just went splat. But should that be surprising? The international break hurt them too. Ranieri hadn’t worked with his entire squad, which is a pretty big problem when you’re trying to implement a new set up. Watford looked like they didn’t have a clue what they were doing, because realistically they didn’t.
As it turned out, this was the perfect time to play them even though we had difficulties of our own that we had to deal with. Bottom line here, look at the team we were still able to put out despite having four midfielders missing, no Alisson and Jota only fit enough for the bench. Now compare it to Watford.
Of course there are no guarantees and inferior teams can often upset the odds. Look at Brentford the other week. The big difference is that Brentford are a settled team, well organised with a good manager who has been working with them for a while. Watford were a disjointed mess. Ranieri might improve that with time, but probably not.
We won’t have an easier game all season. Mo said afterwards that they spoke in the dressing room beforehand how important it was to start well because they didn’t want a repeat of how badly the first half went against City. That showed.
We started fast, aggressive, confident and Watford just looked shell shocked. They had no outlet, no way of getting a foothold in the game. They couldn't hurt us.
Basically, keep Sarr in check and there was nothing to worry about. When the game started it was obvious inside the first couple of minutes we were winning this game comfortably. We were on the front foot, we looked really sharp and Mo was absolutely fucking having his way with Danny Rose.
We went ahead after eight minutes but even before that you knew it was coming. The opening goal was so fucking good though. Just perfection really. Matip dealt with a high ball and nodded it forwards toward Mo. Rose got too tight, Mo just rolled him and was away.
He could have continued running forward into space himself but he quickly assessed his options and he ran toward the ball and he spotted Sadio on the far side. There was a small window to deliver that pass as it had to be far forward enough to cut out the defender, but not too far that it brought the keeper into play. Then of course you need to get the pace of it right.
The ball from Mo was utterly filthy. Inch perfect right into Sadio’s stride. The finish was very good too, and it was just devastatingly fast and clinical. When you concede a goal like that you just wonder what hit you.
We were just all over them after that and the only thing that could hold us back was that it was too easy, We’ve seen that sometimes with the lads. It’s easy, they know it’s easy and they get a bit sloppy. Taking extra touches, doing silly flicks and shit. Watford couldn’t get out of their own half on their own and the first time I remember them doing anything was when Sadio lost it on halfway doing a daft back heel.
That was the only risk to us because Watford couldn’t do anything on their own. It was complete and utter dominate from us. Even Keita looked alright. He didn’t do anything exceptional but he played his part. He made some good tackles and hit the bar with a deflected effort.
From the moment we went ahead the only question was how many we’d score. Frankly it was a little disappointing we only managed two in the first half. The second goal was nothing like the first but it was still brilliant in its own way. Lovely move, capped by Milner making an overlapping run past Sadio, collecting the pass and drilling it across the face for a Bobby tap in. The first goal was pure Liverpool, but that second was a Man City goal and I loved it. We need to do more of that.
The third goal was a bit shit. Robbo was a bit late with the cross and Mo had ran well offside. This is where the new offside law is absolutely fucking shit though. The defender has to try to cut it out because even though he might suspect Mo is offside, in that split second you can’t know for sure. But the only reason he is even making a play at the ball is because Mo is behind him. And Mo is miles offside, so saying that is ok just makes a mockery of the rule.
Bobby is on the spot for a tap in so credit to him for that, but I hate that this is a goal under the current laws of the game. Because it is a goal, the decision was correct and we’ve seen similar goals given too. I’m just saying, it’s fucking stupid and needs to change.
It made no difference to the outcome of this game because we were battering Watford with or without that goal, but there will be other games when it’s tight and a goal with this will prove decisive. And that’s just wrong. It actually blows my mind that the people that make these laws can look at a goal like this and say “yeah thats fine, we want those to be given”. They’ll happily disallow goals because a toe nail is offside, but this is ok?
It’s like they just don’t understand the game at all, because you have to look at incidents like this from a defender’s point of view and ask what are they meant to do. You can’t have defenders just letting balls go through to forwards who are offside, because sometimes another defender will be deeper and playing the forward on. The other thing is that the flag doesn’t go up straight away so you end up having to chase back anyway. So if a defender thinks he can cut it out he’ll make a play at the ball, but he’s only doing it because he’s trying to keep the ball away from AN OFFSIDE PLAYER!! It’s a joke.
There was nothing wrong with the fourth goal though. Wow. Fucking hell. Was it better than last week? I don’t know, it was incredibly similar. It was similar to others he’s scored from similar situations too. The point is it isn’t a one off.
I think last week’s goal against City helped him score this one. Defenders expect him to cut back onto his left foot but last week he skinned Laporte and finished with his right. So Cathcart almost certainly has that in mind when Mo goes on the outside of him. Mo feigns the shot and Cathcart buys it hook line and sinker because he has to. After what happened last week he can’t risk it. He has to assume Mo is going to shoot.
He didn’t shoot though, he cut back onto his left side, steadied himself and calmly bent it into the corner. It was fucking ridiculous but this is becoming standard now. He’s scoring and assisting every week. The goal and assist combo v City was special but this pair probably eclipsed that in terms of quality. The calibre of opposition wasn’t as high so that needs to be factored in, but what he’s doing this season is a level above anything he’s done before, even in the 44 goal season.
The great thing is he isn’t doing it alone. Sadio is scoring regularly and Bobby has been pretty prolific on the quiet. He’s not played much but has six goals now. The numbers of the front three (and that’s not even including Jota) so far this season compare favourably with anything they’ve done before at this stage of the season. If they keep this up no-one is stopping us.
The first season they played together they managed 91 goals. We also had double figures from Coutinho who left halfway through the season. Since then it’s dropped off year on year but if they come close to what they did that year, with Jota chipping in double figures too, who is going to be able to live with that?
Bobby getting three tap ins is fucking great. I love that. That’s what I want from him. Cheap goals that boost his tally, help his confidence and take the pressure off him. That season when the three of them got 91, Bobby got 26 I think. And quite a few of them were like this. Tap ins, often no look finishes.
Goals cover a multitude of sins for a number nine. When he isn’t scoring he needs to be spot on with everything else or he’ll rightly be questioned. That hasn’t been the case in the last couple of years and his form has been up and down. If he was scoring regularly that wouldn’t have mattered, but when you aren’t scoring then everything else is put under a microscope.
The fact he’s getting in there looking for goals is great news and is probably a result of the competition for places. He’s fallen behind Jota in the pecking order this season but it wouldn’t take much for him to change that because he’s more of a natural fit for the position than Diogo, who for me is probably more at home in the wider positions. So if Bobby is scoring, it’s a no brainer to pick him.
His hat-trick goal was a proper number nine’s goal. Nice ball by Ox, good play by Neco and Bobby is in the area you want him to be in to get a tap in. Quick point on that, just look at Danny Rose again as Neto blows by him like he isn’t even there. He was completely shot by that point and it’s probably the worst individual display since that time Jon Walters scored an own goal, missed two pens and smashed the ball into his own face while attempting an overhead kick.
Nice to see Ox and Neco making positive contributions off the bench though. Of course this was an easy game to come into and to look good, but we’re going to need all of these players throughout the season so anything that helps with their confidence is a big positive.
This was just a great all around performance in which everyone looked like they were on form. Sadio and Bobby had some erratic, sloppy moments but that’s the nature of their job I think. They’re always going to have moments when they give it away cheaply and it looks bad, but it’s because they have that freedom to try to make things happen and some of the things they do is more high risk. Mo is the same to some extent, it’s just that he’s in such incredible form that most of what he’s attempting is coming off.
All over the pitch though we were great. Kelleher didn’t have much to do but made a fine save late on when he tipped the ball onto the post. Trent was fucking ridiculous with some of his passing. Virgil was completely dominant and that one moment when he back headed a difficult bouncing ball and then shrugged off the forward and casually rolled it Robbo was almost unfair. Imagine having to play against a defender who can dominate you and take the piss like that. It must be soul destroying.
And he probably wasn’t even the best centre back on the pitch, because Big Bird was just about perfect once again. Every game he’s just flawless. Proper world class player him even if hardly anyone outside of LFC seems to know it. Robbo was good and Klopp had the luxury of giving him and Trent a rest by bringing them off early. Kostas was fucking class again when he came on, I love him.
The midfield was good. I mentioned Keita already, while Hendo bossed it without really having to exert himself at all. The pick of the three was Milner though. Absolutely brilliant in midfield and then did a good job at right back before Neco took over.
Star man is Mo though, which considering Bobby bagged a hat-trick shows just how special a performance this was from Salah. I haven’t checked back, but this feels like it must be his fifth or sixth star man of the season as it seems like I’m giving it to him every week at the moment. Long may it continue.
We’ve got Atletico next but my mind is already on next weekend if I’m honest. I expect Jurgen will go really strong in Spain because the early Saturday kick off means there is a reasonable time between games, while the Tuesday / Sunday thing means there’s no need to rest anyone ahead of Old Trafford. It might be prudent to let Joel sit this one out and give Gomez a run out, but aside from that I don’t envisage too many changes other than Alisson and Fabinho coming back in.
I hope we go there and just fucking throttle the pricks as we owe them after last time. I badly want to beat them but in reality a draw would be fine in terms of qualification from the group. I just hope we come through unscathed with no injuries so we can go and wipe the floor with United next weekend.
Team: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold (Oxlade-Chamberlain), Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson (Tsimikas); Henderson, Milner (Williams), Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mané:
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