Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Liverpool 2 (Dec 21 2018)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

There are a number of reasons why we have rarely been able to mount a serious challenge for the title since we last won it. The biggest one has been inability to win the games we’re supposed to win.

 

Go back and look at results over the last 28 years and every season is littered with inexplicable losses and draws to sides that were either relegated or just about avoided it. You can’t win titles like that.

 

So far this year has been different. We've faced everybody except Newcastle, and we’ve won every game we’re 'supposed' to win while avoiding defeat in the most dangerous fixtures against our rivals. Plus we won at Spurs, which puts us ahead of the curve.

 

It sounds simple, but it’s a fact that if you beat everybody outside of the top six then providing you don't massively shit the bed against the other top sides, you’ll almost certainly win the title.

 

18 games in and we’ve done exactly that, which explains why we’re four points clear. City drew with Wolves and were beaten by Palace, whereas we beat both of them. That’s the main reason they’re trailing us, although we also sneaked a draw at Chelsea which helps. 

 

When City were flying they couldn’t shake us off. They’ve since hit a dodgy spell and because we’d stuck with them we were then able to take advantage of it by continuing to churn out wins. This was a huge result because City will have been thinking there was a chance we'd drop points. We didn't, and we all saw how City responded to it a day later. 

 

City are the playground bully, pushing people around without any resistance and ruling through fear, but as soon as someone stands up to them you see they’re not as tough as everyone thought they were.

 

Look, they’re a great side and I’m not dismissing them. I still feel like they should be favourites to win the thing, I’m just saying that they look much better as ‘front runners’ than they do when they are faced with some adversity. We need to keep turning the screw on them and see if they can cope. Maybe it will bring out the best in them, but maybe they'll crack?

 

 

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[Rico1304]

Salad was awesome, like a human dynamo.  Certainly looked happier too.

 

VVD is going to be a club legend (if he isn’t already) 

[Biscao]

I remember that game when VVD outpaced Sadio as well. Thought he was an annoyingly good cunt who was impossible to beat. He looked good at every aspect of defending. Boy, was I right about that (not the cunt-part, mind). He's by far the best defender in the world. 

[Tj hooker]

Spot on report Dave can't disagree with any of it 

[moof]

If Virgil keeps this form up or (if such a thing is even possible) keeps improving then he’ll be a shoe-in for the balloon d’or

[Paul]

25 minutes ago, moof said:

If Virgil keeps this form up or (if such a thing is even possible) keeps improving then he’ll be a shoe-in for the balloon d’or

What? Everton's POTY Award?

[johnsusername]

Saved the best til last...

 

"Traore still should have done better. It's difficult though. The main problem he’s got is that he’s shit."

[Marcas]

Excellent report Dave. Can’t agree more on VVD - saw that Babb said on LFC TV that it’s only a matter of time before the Spanish leaches come in for him. On this occasion I don’t think we have to worry, I think he’s here for the duration...

[moof]

Just now, Marcas said:

Excellent report Dave. Can’t agree more on VVD - saw that Babb said on LFC TV that it’s only a matter of time before the Spanish leaches come in for him. On this occasion I don’t think we have to worry, I think he’s here for the duration...

They can’t afford him 

[RedHeadedRed]

It's crazy to think he was under the weather after that performance, he makes every defender around him play better too he's just unreal.

[fowler_god_9]

Brilliant report as always Dave. Van Dijk is just unreal, a beast of a player. Best defender we have ever had I think. 

[Bad Red Bull]

From another forum:

Virgil Van Dijk could go to sleep, rubbish the bed and still wake up with a clean sheet.

[deiseach]

Really loved that Fabinho assist. The easy thing to do would be to ease the ball into the mixer which gives the forward time to react to whatever comes his way but the same applies to the defenders as well. Instead he hammers it in and trusts the forward to be more quick-witted than any of the defenders which, as they say in Liverpool, is right. Great stuff all round.

[Paul]

I reckon there’s a bit more to it than trust. It’ll be something they’ve worked on. I reckon we’ll see some more goals like that over the next few weeks.