Cardiff City 0 Liverpool 2 (Apr 21 2019)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

Another big performance from the boys. They know they have to win every game and that’s what they’re doing. Each week it’s a different kind of test, but so far they have had all the answers. 

 

Klopp mentioned afterwards that in preparation for this game they had been training on a dry pitch at Melwood. They didn’t let the groundsman cut the grass or water it for a couple of days. I love that. It’s the kind of thing that helped to set us apart from the rest back when Shanks and Bob were in charge. You’d always hear tales about this sort of thing. Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves etc. 

 

The performance wasn’t always free flowing but we created plenty of chances and eventually Cardiff wilted in the heat. That was the key; be patient, keep playing football and wear them down. Cardiff battled and they defended valiantly but they were just massively outgunned and in the end it showed.

 

These games are usually straightforward when they’re played in the first three quarters of the season. When you get to this stage, when the shite teams are desperate for every point and you are also playing under pressure, they can be a lot more difficult. 

 

The scorching heat made the unwatered pitch tricky to play slick football on but that was counteracted by the draining effect the heat had on Cardiff, who spent most of the game chasing the ball or trying to plug gaps. Eventually that usually takes a toll and it’s hard for a team to be as under the cosh as Cardiff were to not get leggy after an hour or so.

 

We’ve seen games like this countless times. As long as the underdog has something to hold onto that gives them added motivation to keep working, but as soon as they fall behind the tired legs become all the more weary. 

 

We should have scored more really as they’d completely gone in those closing 15-20 minutes and there were gaps everywhere.

 

Prior to that it was tough, but we played pretty well and it was only slack finishing that kept the game level. We didn’t have too much trouble getting through them but Firmino and Salah both missed easy one v ones with the keeper and Mané couldn’t quite keep a shot down after doing well to get in front of his marker.

 

We had a couple of trademark counter attacks from Cardiff set-plays too, but Mo failed to make the most of either of them. The first one he just needed to check back and play Mané in, but he didn’t see him and lost the ball.

 

The second one was a lot like the goal he scored at Southampton the other week, only this time he couldn’t beat the last defender. The slow pitch might have contributed to that, as dribbling is probably the thing most impacted by a dry surface.

 

Cardiff barely saw the ball but they still managed to look mildly threatening, especially with Mendez-Laing just running past Trent at will. Trent is quick but Mendez-Laing looked like an Olympic sprinter. 

 

 

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[Nuzzer]

33 minutes ago, tlw content said:

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

Another big performance from the boys. They know they have to win every game and that’s what they’re doing. Each week it’s a different kind of test, but so far they have had all the answers. 

 

Klopp mentioned afterwards that in preparation for this game they had been training on a dry pitch at Melwood. They didn’t let the groundsman cut the grass or water it for a couple of days. I love that. It’s the kind of thing that helped to set us apart from the rest back when Shanks and Bob were in charge. You’d always hear tales about this sort of thing. Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves etc. 

 

The performance wasn’t always free flowing but we created plenty of chances and eventually Cardiff wilted in the heat. That was the key; be patient, keep playing football and wear them down. Cardiff battled and they defended valiantly but they were just massively outgunned and in the end it showed.

 

These games are usually straightforward when they’re played in the first three quarters of the season. When you get to this stage, when the shite teams are desperate for every point and you are also playing under pressure, they can be a lot more difficult. 

 

The scorching heat made the unwatered pitch tricky to play slick football on but that was counteracted by the draining effect the heat had on Cardiff, who spent most of the game chasing the ball or trying to plug gaps. Eventually that usually takes a toll and it’s hard for a team to be as under the cosh as Cardiff were to not get leggy after an hour or so.

 

We’ve seen games like this countless times. As long as the underdog has something to hold onto that gives them added motivation to keep working, but as soon as they fall behind the tired legs become all the more weary. 

 

We should have scored more really as they’d completely gone in those closing 15-20 minutes and there were gaps everywhere.

 

Prior to that it was tough, but we played pretty well and it was only slack finishing that kept the game level. We didn’t have too much trouble getting through them but Firmino and Salah both missed easy one v ones with the keeper and Mané couldn’t quite keep a shot down after doing well to get in front of his marker.

 

We had a couple of trademark counter attacks from Cardiff set-plays too, but Mo failed to make the most of either of them. The first one he just needed to check back and play Mané in, but he didn’t see him and lost the ball.

 

The second one was a lot like the goal he scored at Southampton the other week, only this time he couldn’t beat the last defender. The slow pitch might have contributed to that, as dribbling is probably the thing most impacted by a dry surface.

 

Cardiff barely saw the ball but they still managed to look mildly threatening, especially with Mendez-Laing just running past Trent at will. Trent is quick but Mendez-Laing looked like an Olympic sprinter. 

 

 

This is just at easer, 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. 

 

[Nuzzer]

I’ll be cracking one out to a Pogba poster if he scores a hat trick tomorrow night 

[Trumo]

If teams decide to not water their pitch beforehand to make quick passing difficult for the opposition, I'd see that as only slightly erring towards bad sportsmanship. If the grass is deliberately left long, I see that as a bit worse because it's increasing the potential for injury. If a team deliberately narrows or shortens their pitch just so they can launch long throws right into the mixer (Pulis' Stoke, basically), then that kind of thing should be questioned vehemently. That last one resulted in the Premier League/FA/UEFA/FIFA/whoever stating that pitches must be of minimum regulation size. The only exemptions are for clubs where there isn't enough space around the perimeter to allow for regulation size. Anfield is one ground with this exemption (the pitch is 4m short of regulation length but the width is regulation size). White Hart Lane and Upton Park were two of the others but since both clubs have moved to new stadiums, their pitches have had to get bigger.

[House of Dirk]

Until DNA evidence proves that Mo was not anally raped, it is not a penalty it seems.

[Pidge]

Amazing the stories all over the place for the foul that was punished, to almost universal agreement, rather than Martial's dive that wasn't punished at all.

[johnsusername]

Jenas really showed Keown up on MOTD2. 

[The Guest]

The furore over the pen decision seems to have covered up billy big bollocks trying to take the pen off Milner and getting a cob on not celebrating with him after he put it away.  So much for only the result mattering eh?  It’s no shock to me to see the ego return against the shite we expect to beat.  The chance where he could have put Mane in was not really as obvious as some of his previous behaviour and you should really forgive him for it because he might just not have thought to look up and see him.  Going off past experience though it’s clearly more likely to have been his attitude to these type of situations in this type of game.