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RB Salzburg 0 Liverpool 2 (Dec 10 2019)


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Dave Usher

 

Most teams would have struggled to get a result here. Salzburg threw everything at us in the first half and caused plenty of problems. The crowd were up for it, their players were full of confidence and flying forward from all angles, and this had the potential to go badly wrong. For most teams. We’re not most teams though.

 

We’re the Champions of Europe for a reason. The maturity and professionalism of this performance was so impressive. The lads took everything Salzburg threw at them and eventually just overpowered them in the second half. In truth, despite how well they played, it could have been over by half time with better finishing, but then they could probably argue the same. 

 

Both teams went toe to toe in the opening 45 minutes, but after the break it became clear that we’d taken their best shots and they weren’t hitting as hard anymore. That’s when we just took control of the game and finished them off. 

 

At no point would I say I ever felt worried, but there was mild concern purely because we were just squandering so many chances. Before the game the only way I could see it going wrong for us would be if the front three had one of those occasional collective misfires we’ve seen them have away in Europe.

 

The missed chances suggested it might be ‘one of those nights’ for them (especially Mo) but at the same time it was encouraging just how many chances we were creating. 

 

It was a great team performance and it needed to be. The work rate and ball recovery was phenomenal, especially in the second half, and the counter attacking was sensational. The finishing was hideous though. Thankfully we created so many chances that it was almost inevitable that we’d take a couple of them.

 

 

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As I'm away, the match was like 3 in the morning so I missed it. Catching up with the thread on here though, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth at the ref, but no mention of it in your report. Who's right? 

 

Thanks as ever to Caramac for the gifs.

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1 hour ago, tlw content said:

He just seems like a bit of knobhead. He’d brashly predicted a 3-1 win him scoring all the goals, something that won’t have been lost on our lads (pretty sure Robbo was having a not so subtle dig at him afterwards). Confidence is fine, but you’re a teenager playing in Austria and you’re talking about scoring a hat-trick against Virgil Van Dijk and the European Champions? Not too smart.

Good stuff Dave, what did Robbo say about him?

1 hour ago, tlw content said:

 

 

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. 

 

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'Only bad luck or bad officiating can stop this team.' - Like the awful decisions in each of the Napoli games that helped put us in the position we were in last night. Thought the ref was decent last night on the whole.

Cracking match, cracking performance from the Mentality Monsters. This is a great time to be a Red, and I count the minute before each game.

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55 minutes ago, rb14 said:

As I'm away, the match was like 3 in the morning so I missed it. Catching up with the thread on here though, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth at the ref, but no mention of it in your report. Who's right? 

 

Thanks as ever to Caramac for the gifs.

Ref seemed ok to me. He let a lot go for both sides and maybe that didn't help us as we had most of the possession. I'd happily see him ref in the Prem (although that's not saying that much). 

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He pissed Sadio off which is nigh on impossible.  He shouted fuck you at him until he booked him.  He got a few kicks which he didn’t get a free kick for which looked obvious fouls.  Other than that he wasn’t really noticeable.

 

I thought Firmino absolutely stunk the place out personally.  Other than that everyone on the pitch was great.  They pressed like mad in that first half hour but they clearly weren’t used to the level of quality we have to play through it.  Some really clever passes from the back four is what created those openings for Mo.  Michael Owen said after the game he used to read the papers after games and he bewildered at journalists ripping him for missing chances because he’d played so well and only a handful of players would have created the chances he had to miss.  He was spot on.

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I thought Bobby had a very poor game yesterday as well. But I'll forgive him because I love him to bits. Mo and Sadio's finishing was pretty poor all game even if Mo did excellently scoring from that angle. Made up Ali got another clean sheet, Im sick of people in the media saying we are 'leaking' goals(!) and cannot keep a clean sheet.

 

Joe seemed to be comfortable when he came on and had to play in his natural position. If Degsy is out for Saturday as I expect, it gives Joe more chance to rekindle his partnership with Virgil. And that was phenonmenal until his injury.

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Bobby often has poor spells but then bounces back, he will again soon.

Virgil was my MotM because of the way he snuffed out so many of their breaks first half, the way he turned on the after burners when Haaland had a few yards start, he just brushed past Haaland and took the ball away. Magnificent player. Good to see Keita playing well again, let's hope the fitness remains. He doesn't half divide the Twitter fans. Hendo was very good again, solid defensively and some nice through balls, he does seem much more positive these days which is great.

Definitely an opportunity to rest players Saturday and improve match fitness for some of the squad.

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15 hours ago, The Guest said:

Michael Owen said after the game he used to read the papers after games and he bewildered at journalists ripping him for missing chances because he’d played so well and only a handful of players would have created the chances he had to miss.  He was spot on.

Like Bill Shankly said about Roger Hunt some years back: "Yes he misses a few. But then he gets in the right place to miss them."

 

Mo certainly got himself in the right place to miss them.

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“Minamino though. I love him, he’s boss. What a delightful little player he is. Hwang is good too, but Minamino is the one I want to tune in to watch again. Maybe he’ll end up joining Sadio and Naby over here? We don’t need him as we’ve got such a strong squad, but if a vacancy were to come up in the future then I’d be surprised if he wasn’t on any potential list of candidates.”

 

Like Big Dunk in his heyday.

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18 hours ago, tlw content said:

Minamino though. I love him, he’s boss. What a delightful little player he is. Hwang is good too, but Minamino is the one I want to tune in to watch again. Maybe he’ll end up joining Sadio and Naby over here? We don’t need him as we’ve got such a strong squad, but if a vacancy were to come up in the future then I’d be surprised if he wasn’t on any potential list of candidates.

Takumi Minamino

, 24 y.o. (turns 25 in Jan-20)

Played in Japan until Salzburg signed him 4 years ago.

I'd love to see him at Anfield. Don't agree we don't need him. Actually we do need a winger. We can't keep having no cover for the front 3. Shaq on the wing? Maybe or maybe not. Ox? Not his best position. Elliot? Yes but probably still too young.

Hwang looked good, but Minamino was special. Looks like a player who's passed under the radar. Sign him up Jurgen, its Christmas time! Having a Japanese in the "best team in the world" must be good business as well.

 

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On LFCTV afterwards Robbo said something about them fancying themselves and talking about what they were going to do. I wasn't sure what he was on about as I didn't know what Haaland had said, it was only afterwards when I saw the quotes that it tied in with why Robbo was making his point.

 

As for Minamino, well that escalated quickly!

 

Looks like I won't be needing to watch them in the Europa League now!

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