Liverpool 4 Stoke City 1 (Dec 27 2016)

[tlw content]

It’s not ideal when you’re playing catch up and everyone else plays before you do. There’s enough pressure being six points behind Chelsea, but when it keeps going to nine points because they’re playing before we do, it gives you no margin for error. So when we started this game a bit ropey and fell behind early, it would have been easy to panic.

 

That never happened and the maturity of the performance is further evidence of the progression the team has made this season. There’s still plenty of room for improvement but it wasn’t that long ago that we couldn’t seem to win at Anfield, let alone win 4-1 without even coming close to hitting top gear. 

 

We hammered Stoke and yet from looking on the forum and on twitter, there seemed to be more comments about what we did wrong than did right. The standards have been so high at times this season that when the players don’t reach them it feels like they haven’t played well, but take a step back for a second here. We won 4-1 and it probably should have been even more. If we can pick up results like this when the general consensus is that we weren’t great, then we must be on the right track. 

 

And maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the bad start to the game has been a little overstated too. We weren’t playing well, but it’s not as though Stoke were all over us. They had two chances, one of which they took and the other that brought a great save from Mignolet. That was it though. Two chances. In 90 minutes. Maybe because both of those chances came early on some people *points at Mark Hughes* got a bit carried away about how well Stoke played. 

 

We contributed to our own problems but once the players got used to what Stoke were doing (which was basically twat it up to Crouchy and then hope Joe Allen creates something) they took control and we had no further issues for the rest of the game. 

 

Hughes is a case though isn’t he? “I don’t think many teams come here and play two up top. I don’t think they dealt with it well, in my view”. Hahahaha you lost 4-1 you deluded fuckwit! That’s Hodgson-esque that is. 

 

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[scudger99]

Hughes has done a good job of changing the way that Stoke play, but once Crouch & Walters were on the teamsheet it was obvious what was coming.

And their fans are still ugly bastard inbred web fingered orcs.

[stringvest]

I'm glad your giving Lallana the praise he deserves Dave.  He was actually making the same runs last year, but the players just weren't looking for them.  I think the improvement in his obvious output is as much to do with Klopp making the rest of the players aware of the sheer effort Lallana makes to provide options for a pass.  In 40 years of watching them I've never known a player in a Liverpool shirt to do as much selfless running as Lallana, whether it's to make a tackle or a block in his own area, or to make a run ahead of the front man, or to intercept an opposition pass.  It is a remarkable thing to witness, and it's a shame more of our supporters can't or won't recognise it.  Not only that, but in possession, he must be one of the most gifted players to pull on a Liverpool shirt.  Fantastically skilful with both feet, and an excellent first touch that no-one in the first team comes close to matching.  

[Nunavut Patrick]

Lallana will only have truly made it when Dave's Mum says so.

[Paul]

Suarez was at least Lallana's equal in the running stakes. However that still makes Lallana very near the top of the tree.

[El Rojo]

Agree with the gist of that Dave - Klopp must go.

[Ipplfc]

Lallana will only have truly made it when Dave's Mum says so.

Haha this

[Ipplfc]

Good report that,it was glen Johnson trying to control the ball in the box when it fell to lallana,bit of a worry the way lovren and klavan allowed the ball to bounce around on the edge of our box leading up to wee joes chance,what a great ovation he got by the way and didn't even acknowledge us.crouchy on the other hand....class

[Rotherham Red]

Great report as always, Happy New Year Hopefully.........