Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Liverpool 0 Man City 0 (Oct 7 2018)


tlw content
 Share

Recommended Posts

 

 
dave_usher.jpg
 
Report by
Dave Usher

 

 

Of all the possible ways this game could have unfolded, this was probably the last thing I’d have expected. 0-0 with virtually no chances for either side wasn’t in the script at all. Maybe this is how it’s going to be from now on though, as there was a definite shift in the approach of Pep Guardiola this time.

 

Usually City won’t alter their style for anybody, but going toe to toe with us hasn’t worked out well for them up to now. This time Guardiola clearly set up with the main objective of not getting beat, and anything else being  bonus. That’s a huge compliment to Klopp and his players and Guardiola didn’t try to hide from it afterwards, basically admitting that if you try and attack us you have no chance, no matter who you are. 

 

We’re defo in his head and that probably earned us a point, because at this moment in time we aren’t the team he thinks we are. They probably could have opened up a bit and gotten away with it this time because the team that tore them to pieces last season has been nowhere to be seen so far this year.

 

Both teams cancelled each other out but I don’t think Klopp’s intention was to play it cagey, it just turned out that way because we posed virtually no threat up front and City did a great job of denying us space. And for our part, we defended superbly for most of the game.

 

City’s line up was incredibly attacking but the way they approached the game was not. They were still more adventurous than most teams we’ll see at Anfield but Guardiola learned from previous lessons and ensured they wouldn’t be caught out like that again. Walker and Mendy rarely ventured forward and that meant very few opportunities for Salah and Mané to get isolated against the centre backs. Still, that’s nothing new, teams have been setting up like that against us for years. Not City (or Arsenal), but basically everyone else. It doesn’t normally stop us from creating chances, so what’s going on right now? 

 

I tell you what this reminds me of. For my 30th I went to see Bon Jovi play Old Trafford. It almost goes without saying that it was boss, but a few months later I saw a tribute act called “By Jovi” playing at a bar in Belfast. They were alright, they looked like the real thing and sounded like the real thing, but it was obvious they weren’t the real thing. That’s what this feels like.

 

Guardiola set his team up that way because he thought he was facing the fearsome threesome from last season, but in reality he was up against a jarg tribute act.

 

 

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

 

Please note that Match Reports are only available to website subscribers. Subscriptions cost just £2 a month (you need to register first) and can be purchased here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • dave u pinned this topic

Spot on report as always Knobby. But you missed out our fucking stonewall penno in the second half. Dunno which of them it was, but it was a nailed-on handball. 

 

That said, from where I was sat with my posh friends in the proper seats, thought Atkinson was an improvement over fucking disgraceful - for once. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The other occasion missing from your excellent report occurred just after the pen when Robbo got down the left and put over a cross I thought was going to be met by Studge. Unfortunately it skimmed off the head of Laporte(?) and went clear but I was dreaming of snatching a 1 0...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If old Jon Jon Bovi loses his hair he will be off Dave's 'music boys' list quicker than you can say 'Turn that fucking shit off' as any right thinking person would. 

This hair obsession is getting out of hand. 

Oh and i think the lads will be ok that has been a twat of a run and Atkinson is one of three who are ok in what is the worst collection of officials i can ever recall.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m disappointed we didn’t beat them, purely because if our front three had been anything like their usual selves we would have. On a lighter note I was in a band years ago and we turned up to a gig in Stoke to find that we were supporting By Jovi. You’d have been well jealous of the amount of hair treatments they owned.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For City they’ll have just been happy to get home safe, having not known whether their bus would make it to Anfield dead or alive.  There was always the chance it could have gone down in a blaze of glory like last time.  

 

Our performance was no bed of roses but I’ll take that because we were living on a prayer there when Mahrez lined up to take that penalty.  That would have been some bad medicine we had to swallow.  Looking at Alisson readying himself to face it though, you just thought, in these arms a whole fanbase is safe.  So it proved.  

 

Our front 3 are definitely a concern.  You’re always just waiting for Salah to runaway from his marker but it keeps not happening.  I also wonder if Mane’s contract is more of an issue than being let on.  Never say goodbye, Sadio.  Lastly among them, this ain’t a love song, but Bobby is at least doing the basics right while waiting for his form to kick in.  For now we just need to keep the faith, which of course we always will.

 

Would have been perfect to take the 3 points off them but, at least, unlike Everton, we don’t have to think “Someday I’ll be (second from last on MOTD) Saturday night.”  Have a nice day, everyone.

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dr Nowt said:

For City they’ll have just been happy to get home safe, having not known whether their bus would make it to Anfield dead or alive.  There was always the chance it could have gone down in a blaze of glory like last time.  

 

Our performance was no bed of roses but I’ll take that because we were living on a prayer there when Mahrez lined up to take that penalty.  That would have been some bad medicine we had to swallow.  Looking at Alisson readying himself to face it though, you just thought, in these arms a whole fanbase is safe.  So it proved.  

 

Our front 3 are definitely a concern.  You’re always just waiting for Salah to runaway from his marker but it keeps not happening.  I also wonder if Mane’s contract is more of an issue than being let on.  Never say goodbye, Sadio.  Lastly among them, this ain’t a love song, but Bobby is at least doing the basics right while waiting for his form to kick in.  For now we just need to keep the faith, which of course we always will.

 

Would have been perfect to take the 3 points off them but, at least, unlike Everton, we don’t have to think “Someday I’ll be (second from last on MOTD) Saturday night.”  Have a nice day, everyone.


You know an embarrassing number of Bon Jovi songs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ray Houghton’s primary explanation on R5 for our stuttering attack this season is the attention the opposition are paying to Firmino.

 

In the games where we have struggled to create chances, e.g. Brighton, Leicester, Chelsea, Roma and City, our opponents crowd Firmino as quickly as possible whenever we have possession. Houghton claims this is the principal reason our attack looks so sterile.

 

His secondary explanation is the absence of a creative midfield player in the style of Courtinho, where Nabby has been a disappointing replacement for the Brazilian while his midfield colleagues are industrious but unimaginative.

 

In the theme of this week’s Match Report, Houghton’s second point equates to replacing Pete best with Ringo. That turned out well in the end and fuck Bon Jovi.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • dave u unpinned this topic

Chelsea-Liverpool was 1-0, but it ended 1-1; thanks to very late goal of ds.  Liverpool-ManCity was 0-0, and it ended 0-0; thanks to mahrez. If we would have lost both games, like it looked; it would be ManCity 22, Cheksea 22, Liverpool 18 points. ManCity have had easy games expect Francenal and we. We are in a good position, i think.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...