Liverpool 0 Burnley 1 (Jan 22 2021)

[tlw content 12,240]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

Initially I wasn’t going to write this as 1) I didn’t feel like I could face it, and 2) I didn’t think anyone would want to read it. The latter may still be true but having had time to sleep on it I actually wanted to get this done and getting my thoughts out there instead of having them rattling around my head will probably help me process all this.

 

I feel differently today to how I felt last night and indeed how I’ve felt for weeks. I’d even go as far as to say I feel better. Not because I’m more encouraged about anything (if anything it’s the opposite) but because the emotions have changed.

 

I still feel sad but I’m not distraught about it in the way I have been of late. Every result has been a hammer blow because all I can think of is how damaging it’s going to be to our title defence. As of now, I’ve written the title off and that acceptance and resignation is almost cathartic in a way.

 

What’s left is just sadness and a sense of resentment about how this shit we’re going through is completely unfair. I’m no longer angry at anyone (other than the constant stream of officials screwing us over) and the main thing I’m feeling today is sympathy for Klopp and the players. I just feel bad for them. Even the front three who I’ve been hammering lately. 

 

I was angry but what’s the point being angry at them? They’re trying their best. It’s not working, but you can see they’re doing all they can and they just can’t catch a break. Not just the front three either, it seems like everyone is suffering.

 

Everything is going against them. From little things to big things, literally nothing is falling for them at the moment. I could mention yet more decisions going against us and I will do, but for now I’ll leave that and concentrate on football stuff.

 

It really is the finest of margins right now. Sure, you can say we weren’t good enough but in this particular game I don’t think that’s true. We’ve been shite in a lot of games this season but this wasn’t that. It wasn’t great by any means but we’ve won games playing far, far worse than this. We just needed one chance to go in, one ball to fall kindly for us in the box, the keeper to let one through his legs. Something. Anything.

 

The problem is that when you’re in a run like this you need some luck and we’re getting none. “You make your own luck” they say. Nah, not really. You get luck when things are running for you and you get none when they aren’t. On another day Origi’s shot is an inch lower and we go on to win comfortably. Or the rebound from Pope doesn’t land perfectly by his own foot so he can hack it away from Sadio on the line. I could go on, because it’s just fine margins.

 

Everything we hit against Palace went in and since then it’s done everything but. Sure, we’ve not played well, but it’s also true that fuck all has gone our way. Not one thing. Nothing. 

 

I don’t tend to put much stock in those XG numbers but those who do would tell you that statistically what has happened in the last five games is a complete freak occurrence. To have come away with only one goal from the chances created is a huge anomaly, but that’s what happens when things conspire against you.

 

I looked at the players in the second half of this game and you could visibly see they were almost broken. The lack of goals and the bad run of results and everything else around it looks to have destroyed their confidence. To then lose this game to a late, soft penalty, they must feel like the whole world is against them right now. Because it is.

 

Of course there are a lot of things they could be doing better and need to be doing better. The performance wasn’t great but it was mostly alright. It’s not right in the final third, that much is clear, but we still did enough and forced enough openings to have won this game nine times out of ten. But it was clear that the one game out of ten would come now, because it never rains but it fucking pours.

 

Klopp’s team selection was interesting to say the least. I don’t know why he left out Bobby and Mo. It might have been a kick up the arse because they’ve been shite. It might have been a case of just doing something different to throw Burnley a curveball. It could have been a pre-planned thing based on the sports science info they have. Maybe it’s all of the above.

 

 

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[manwiththestick 3,717]

No disrespect here but I can't wait to getting back to looking forward to these match reports!

[grazywalker 179]

Glad you picked up on the challenge on Mane after he shot over the bar. If he goes down screaming in agony VAR are all over that shit. Just because it went off target does not allow a free pass to foul. This happens in many games to many players and it just gets looked over. 

 

[Daisy 15]

No mention of the handball shout? 

 

Agreed about Origi also, didn't deserve to come off. 

[bigal 204]

The fact that Barnes should have had a second yellow for his part in the incident with Fabinho infuriates me. It's like, we can't send him off for that but we'll still give the yellow to Fabinho. 

Too few shots, when we do we seem to be going for near post rather than across the keeper and hope for a rebound. 

I actually had a similar history of thought as you Dave, started off just frustrated to hell then woke up, after a restless night of wanting to kick Dean in the balls, resigned that the league is gone. 

[Trumo 14,141]

That Kelleher/Gross penalty incident you've mentioned wasn't at Brighton, it was when we played Midtjylland so it didn't involve Pascal Gross. Ali was between the sticks at Brighton.

[Marcas 54]

I know it’s easy to be wise after the fact, but I never, not for one nano second, thought that Div would score that. The only surprise was that he didn’t hit the 5th row back. Agree with the rest of the report, especially on Ox (who let’s face it has never been the same since Roma) and Taki. And let’s be honest, Thiago has yet to be the player who was supposed to take us to a new attacking level. BUT, just as our form collapsed in a second, so it can turn the other way also. We’re going to be 7 back in City, can that be pulled back in half a season? If we get our shit together absolutely...

[Kevin D 7,588]

[Butch 943]

Forgetting about the title might actually relieve a lot of the pressure. At the moment every game we fail to win feels like a catastrophe and it seems to be weighing everyone down. 

Think you're spot on here dave. The season we lost the league to city was by by the tightest of margins, again the ref was at fault for not sending off kompany after cutting down mo who probably would have scored. 

After that the players knew that had to be 100% in every game to beat them to the title. The guts and determination of the players was absolutely amazing and unbelievable. They pissed over every team who came up against them. 

The pressure is on and it's wearing them down especially when they have no control over how they are being fucked over, its no wonder they are broken. I also feel sorry for them. Shot on goal took a deflection and hit popes knee and he knew nothing about it, it's unbelievable what is happening so Klopp should tell them to forget about winning the league and go again next season. Hope too we can beat those cunts on Sunday as that would be a good boost. 

[aws 6,787]

No idea who Rebel Wilson is but I agree with the rest of it. 

 

I just forced myself to watch the ten minute "highlights" on LFCTV which confirmed  my recollection that we created enough chances to have seen us win two of some of our ropey games over the last couple of seasons. And Origi did ok and gave us a more direct approach than we've seen up front over the last few games.

The clear-out of Mane was more of a penalty than the one Barnes got but we can't catch a break at the moment. 

[m0e 1,525]

Agree on Trent and Origi. Much better from both of them.

 

Origi plyed with the attitude of a proper number 9. I miss that a lot.

 

And Trent's positioning was much higher too, and that's got to be down to Matip being back.

 

Was very happy to see him drill balls along the ground too.

[Redlewie 52]

Always want to read these Dave so keep 'em coming. We have to take the shit times when they come along, and this is a whole new level of shit in every way off the pitch, but nothing we haven't seen a hundred times on it. Apart from the officiating, which is also a whole new level of shit.

 

I'm struggling with that stuff. My eyes tell me we are getting done over much more often than anyone else, but is it my bias? Just frustration at results? Why do you think, as it appears, that we are being targeted? It just seems too mental to believe, yet we see it pretty much every match.

 

We aren't out of the race yet. We have the European & F.A cups ahead. I know its not fashionable to say it anymore, but the FA cup still means something to me (probably my age). If you have a great team, but they have an off year and don't do well in the big 2, then you try to keep that winning mentality going by picking up a cup.

[Creator Supreme 1,069]

I'm still fuming over that penalty decision, wasn't a pen in a month of Sunday's! I'm not in to conspiracy theories but if that was Pope and Salah at the other end it doesn't get given! The fact that Barnes gimp was still on the field to get the pen in the first place is an insult!

[Butch 943]

29 minutes ago, Redlewie said:

Always want to read these Dave so keep 'em coming. We have to take the shit times when they come along, and this is a whole new level of shit in every way off the pitch, but nothing we haven't seen a hundred times on it. Apart from the officiating, which is also a whole new level of shit.

 

I'm struggling with that stuff. My eyes tell me we are getting done over much more often than anyone else, but is it my bias? Just frustration at results? Why do you think, as it appears, that we are being targeted? It just seems too mental to believe, yet we see it pretty much every match.

 

We aren't out of the race yet. We have the European & F.A cups ahead. I know its not fashionable to say it anymore, but the FA cup still means something to me (probably my age). If you have a great team, but they have an off year and don't do well in the big 2, then you try to keep that winning mentality going by picking up a cup.

Because we ran away with the league last season it's not in the media's interest to have a one horse race so in fucking us over it makes it more interesting to the masses. Utd are the media darlings who can do no wrong "they're back" bollocks. We'll be back. 

[Josef Svejk 4,733]

51 minutes ago, m0e said:

Agree on Trent and Origi. Much better from both of them.

 

Origi plyed with the attitude of a proper number 9. I miss that a lot.

 

And Trent's positioning was much higher too, and that's got to be down to Matip being back.

 

Was very happy to see him drill balls along the ground too.

Totally disagree on Trent. And not because his crossing and even his basic passing was infuriating. But because he wasn't tracking runners into our box or making any sort of effort to stop attackers gliding past him on their left wing. That I find really disappointing, to be honest. 

 

But he had so much smoke blown up his ass by fans and the media when things were going well in an attacking sense - despite very obvious flaws in his game - that I'm not surprised he's gone dramatically backward. 

 

That's a real contrast with Robertson, who hasn't been great lately, but has a completely different attitude to every aspect of the full back role. Given the struggles he's faced in his career, you can understand the difference. 

[Moin Kapadia 13]

Great report. Watching football at the moment is no fun at all - I'm an arm chair fan so watching a fired up crowd at Anfield on the TV (especially under the lights) is always the highlight of my week and now it's just like watching a kickabout in the local park - it's dry. I agree with your thinking - let's forgot about winning the league but keep plugging away until things start clicking again - go on an amazing run (which we can do) - try to have some fun and see where that takes us. 

 

By the way, you did not say if you are comparing current Rebel Wilson with current Pamela (in her 50s and been around-the-block a bit) Anderson. If it's Baywatch Anderson then yeah there definitely is no contest. But on current form - I think I might just pick Rebel, lol

[ManéMan 23]

Trent's was the single worst performance I've seen for a every long time. Kept getting the ball time and time again but looked visibly scared of it. 

The low crosses are generally shite on most days, constantly behind the attackers or straight at the first defender, but last night was a new low.

Doesn't help when the attackers show zero movement and anticipation in the box as well.

[dockers_strike 2,090]

Like you, I felt for the players on Thursday. Yeah they tried, but nothing is going for them. Div gets a lot of stick for hitting the bar with that shot but as I said in the match thread, why does anyone think Mo, Bobby or Sadio is burying that on current form? And souey can fuck right off with his 'Anyone but him (Divock)' comments.

 

To be honest Dave, I thought Trent's crossing was aweful, neither can I see why he's taking the majority of free kicks around the box because they all go wide. I cant remember the last time a keeper was forced to make a save from one of his free kicks.

 

I agree we just need a win, preferably with the flukiest goals ever and starting Sunday would be good.

[sir roger 6,005]

As well as a rethink about Trent on free kicks, I also want us to stop both Trent and Robbo standing over each free kick. No opposition gives a shit who takes it, the non taker would be better in an offensive position and one or the other gets stranded on the wrong side every time when it is effortlessly cleared.

[Fiona Southworth 4]

Dave no need for the Pamela / Rebel comment !

[skaro 5,221]

2 minutes ago, Fiona Southworth said:

Dave no need for the Pamela / Rebel comment !

 

Indeed.  

Chevy Chase and John Candy perhaps?

 

[Stickman 7,135]

Football has a funny habit of throwing up similar incidents just after they happen and resulting in a different outcome .A bit like when Mane got sent off v Man City by Jon Moss for the high foot as I’ve yet to see a player sent off since for the same foul 

I also.thought at first viewing it was a pen yet once you see it from a different angle then one Barnes no control of the ball and two Allison’s hand doesn’t actually touch Barnes foot at all it’s Barnes who makes sure he makes contact with Allison’s leg .
Carragher and fellow Sky pundits argued that when a keeper comes out and doesn’t make contact with the ball then he’s got a problem yet a Burnley defender earlier flew in on Mane after he just made contact with the ball in getting a shot off but for Carragher the defender didn’t have a similar problem as that was a good challenge to put Mane off....?

 

I’m not making excuses  here as we were shite but just because we were shite doesn’t mean a penalty should be awarded .

[Code 883]

Agree with most here Dave, think you are a bit too kind to Origi though.

 

He was running straight forward when he took that shot, at least try and get yourself a better angle and let the keeper leave more of his goal open .

 

Passing the ball to Mane was the best option though, but I understand why he took the shot as he was convinced he would score, had he made the pass it would have been a criminal offence for Mane to miss though.  

[dave u 6,022]

4 hours ago, Trumo said:

That Kelleher/Gross penalty incident you've mentioned wasn't at Brighton, it was when we played Midtjylland so it didn't involve Pascal Gross. Ali was between the sticks at Brighton.

 

Haha I thought it was the one that Maupay missed but got mixed up with he one Kelleher conceded. Who was fouled for the first Brighton pen then?

[dave u 6,022]

25 minutes ago, Fiona Southworth said:

Dave no need for the Pamela / Rebel comment !

I proper hate Rebel Wilson. So annoying. Seems to be on Graham Norton every week, ruining it.