Liverpool 2 Genk 1 (Nov 5 2019)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

Job done and now we can just forget all about this game. It won’t live long in the memory, that’s for sure. This was one we just needed to win and get out of the way, and we did. We should qualify 

 

The crowd weren’t up for it and the players rarely got out of second gear, mainly because they didn’t need to. We seem to be able to do just enough when we need to and that’s a good habit for a team to have.

 

All eyes seemed to be on Sunday’s game with City and as a result this was just extremely flat, on and off the pitch. The players were more up for it than the crowd, thankfully. Not much more, but enough.

 

The game wasn’t as close as the scoreline suggests but that’s becoming a recurring theme this season. We keep winning games by one goal despite creating ten times the amount of chances as the opposition. It’s annoying but it would be churlish to get too worked up about it as after all, we’re still winning these games.

 

Whatever happened to those four or five goal hammerings though? Be nice to have a few of those so we can relax and enjoy these games a little more.

 

This wasn’t exactly stressful and I never felt that we weren’t going to win, but if we’d scored a couple more goals then the closing stages would have been less tense and maybe we could have given Curtis Jones a little run out, which would have been nice.

 

The way the game started it looked like we’d run away with it. Genk couldn’t get out of their own half for most of the first half but we let them score with their first attack. By that point we should have been up by three or four but we’d only taken one chance, a sharp close range finish from Gini.

 

 

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[bigal]

No need for a long summary as it was forgettable.

Of the 3 players with 'something to prove'. Gomez was fine but he does seem to get drawn forward a bit and leave gaps behind. Ox is going to be back as a regular soon, his bursts forward and eye for goal are something we lack elsewhere. Keita was good first half, I'll assume he tired second half as you say. But he's not shown me anything to justify the price or the hardline advocates on Twitter who won't hear of him being anything but the messiah.

Salah's form is definitely a cause of minor concern, anyone else wonder if he might be replaced next year?

[Manny]

I just can't quite work Keita out at all. He's in a run of form at the moment where he's playing quite well, but not quite well enough to play himself into the "weekend" eleven. Maybe it's because our midfield is generally quite utilitarian, occupying space so that the full backs and front three can flourish - but Keita plays in games where the front three and full backs are changed so it doesn't quite work as well?

 

I dunno. I thought he was fine last night but no way would he be starting on Sunday for me.

[aws]

I think Keita is really struggling with the way we press and defend .  He looks a bit lost as if he doesn't know when he can cut loose and attack and when he needs to hold back. Did he have a free role in Germany?

[Marcas]

Keita definitely isn’t the same player at all. I couldn’t wait for him to join as I was expecting a thoroughly nasty fucker who’d score, create and generally get on the tits of opposition players and fans alike. And we ended up with what exactly? Yeah he’s neat on the ball, but it seems he’s a totally one-paced lightweight. Where’s the guy who would have started a fight in an empty room, the guy who was voted the best MF player in Germany at one stage? Like...What happened??

[Tarwater]

I actually like all our players, and, yes, that includes Lallana, Lovren and certainly Henderson, but I just can’t seem to warm to Keita. He actually irritates me to the extent that he might just as well play for an opponent team. I guess most of that is due to disappointment, as I was so certain he would be absolutely ace based on what I saw of him in Germany.

[beejay]

It's true that Keita is playing within himself and just doing the basics but I'm still allowing him plenty of slack because it's clear he can play. I have written so many players off over the years only for them to turn out great and equally as many who I was convinced would be brilliant from the start only to flop.

 

I'm putting Naby into the first category for now, there's enough on display to indicate he can be ace once he has fully settled in.

[sir roger]

I thought Keita was neat and tidy and did more good work defensively than I had seen of him in any other matches, but he was underwhelming in the top 30 yards of the pitch.

[rb14]

Keita, Keita, Keita, Keita, Keita, Keita, Keita. 

 

And now my work here is done. 

[s(k)aturation]

 

Injury permitting of course, I expect Ox to become a first-choice player - and quite vital - as the season wears on.

 

Goals from midfield could make the difference.

[StevieMax]

Dave's report, like the game, was short and too the point - get 3 points, no injuries and get mentally prepared for City.  However much Klopp said beforehand that it was all about Genk not City the more we knew it was the opposite.

Everyone's been looking over the shoulder of the person in front of them towards Sunday.

Can't wait!

[StevieMax]

On 06/11/2019 at 20:50, Marcas said:

Keita definitely isn’t the same player at all. I couldn’t wait for him to join as I was expecting a thoroughly nasty fucker who’d score, create and generally get on the tits of opposition players and fans alike. And we ended up with what exactly? Yeah he’s neat on the ball, but it seems he’s a totally one-paced lightweight. Where’s the guy who would have started a fight in an empty room, the guy who was voted the best MF player in Germany at one stage? Like...What happened??

Perhaps we bought Keita's cousin by mistake.........

[Guest]