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Liverpool 2 Newcastle 0 (Mar 3 2018)


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We can probably take more from this than if we’d really turned it on and won 6-0. We were nowhere near our best and yet this was extremely comfortable. Newcastle barely had a sniff. One dangerous moment in 90 minutes, and when that moment came our keeper did what he’s there to do and he stopped it going in. 
 
This is how it’s supposed to be when you’re a good team. You can’t perform at your maximum every week but on the days when it’s not quite clicking you need to be secure at the back and not make any stupid mistakes. It sounds easy, but how many times have we shot ourselves in the foot and conceded from the first (and sometimes only) chance we gave up to some deadbeat team that had only been hoping to just keep the score down? Too many. That’s why we’ve had so many draws and it’s why we lost at Swansea. 
 
We’ve still got a result like that in us but other than Man City who hasn’t? They’re happening less frequently these days. I saw a stat on Twitter that shows just what progress has been made. Since the loss at Spurs we’ve scored the most, conceded the second fewest and have only six points less than City. Even in that run though there have been probably eight points we’ve thrown away, but by and large it’s been pretty good. 
 
Even without the statistics, it feels like we’re much better doesn't it? It's reached the point that even when we win there’s a part of me that feels a little disappointed when we don’t score at least three. That’s how high the bar is set now. Against Newcastle we were so dominant that it’s actually frustrating they even had one shot. I bet the players feel that way too. That one moment apart it was virtually a perfect defensive performance as we didn’t let them get near our goal. 
 
You can see the development in the performances week to week and big Virgil is visibly making a difference now. We look more secure defensively and players around him seem to look more assured. Karius actually looks like a proper goalkeeper now, and watching Lovren against Newcastle there was an aggression and even a bit of swagger to his play. It’s not like he had much to do against a sorry, negative Newcastle side, but he just looked, dare I say, more commanding than usual. 
 
That’s the Van Dijk effect. He doesn’t do anything especially eye catching (he generally doesn’t need to as it’s rare that we find ourselves under the cosh against anybody) but there’s just a calmness, and dominance about everything he does, and it rubs off on those around him. I bet he doesn’t even sweat in a sauna, the big cool bastard. 
 

This is just a teaser, click here to view the full report

 

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Here's the low-down. We field a less-strong team but still play the very lovely Karius. Porto, having nothing to lose and everything to gain, lay siege to our goal, eager for justice from the drubbing we dished out at their place. Karius gets injured.

 

Don't forget it's not just the mancs next weekend, we're also playing against the three (four) officials a la Spurs. Mignolet in goal.

 

Still feeling confident?

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Here's the low-down. We field a less-strong team but still play the very lovely Karius. Porto, having nothing to lose and everything to gain, lay siege to our goal, eager for justice from the drubbing we dished out at their place. Karius gets injured.

 

Don't forget it's not just the mancs next weekend, we're also playing against the three (four) officials a la Spurs. Mignolet in goal.

 

Still feeling confident?

Aren't you a happy little so and so

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Here's what I am. Fucking pessimistic when it comes to playing those cunts (and the officials). I know, you're going to say that I should shrug off the past couple of decades of experience as an aberration, but weird though it must seem, I just can't.

 

You see for me it's a bit of protection against the utter depression that losing to them causes me. In the unlikely event we win, and I know we should batter the shit out of them, I'll be the happiest bunny rabbit in Borneo. History suggests we really won't.

 

So (and so) hang me.

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Great report as usual Dave, but I’m expecting that one effort from Newcastle to go in. - That’s not a routine save!

 

I’d also point out how far back in his own half Bobby is when he wins the ball that starts the move for Mane’s goal.

 

I fucking love Bobby.

 

It's not a routine save, it's a very good one. If he hadn't made it though then I'd have been asking questions. Not taking anything away from it, just saying that I expect a good keeper to do what he did. His save against West Ham last week was better for me. That was tremendous.

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It's not a routine save, it's a very good one. If he hadn't made it though then I'd have been asking questions. Not taking anything away from it, just saying that I expect a good keeper to do what he did. His save against West Ham last week was better for me. That was tremendous.

 

Fair enough - I think that’s an even better save Saturday.

 

I’m just made up the change in keepers has been made.

 

I’ll be even more made up if we buy a world class keeper in the summer.

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