Crystal Palace 1 Liverpool 3 (Jan 23 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

What a strange game that was. Brilliant for 35 minutes, mostly awful for the next 55. Decisions went our way for once and thankfully we had Alisson in beast mode. The net result is a big three points which has closed the gap on City a little and ensured that we’ve come through AFCON completely unscathed. 

 

Maximum points from both league games and a semifinal win without Sadio and Mo (and Naby, just in case Klopp or Ljinders are reading this) is everything we could have hoped for. We needed others to step up and they have. Mainly Jota - who we would have expected to - and Oxlade-Chamberlain who we probably wouldn’t.

 

I’m an Ox guy, I root for him and I’m probably more positive about him than most but I’ve said time and time again that he’s a waste of a shirt playing in the front three and that I never wanted to see him there. Yet when Mo wasn’t there and we needed someone to step into the huge breach, he did it and scored in both games he started.

 

It hasn’t changed my opinion about him playing in the front three, well maybe a little, but that’s irrelevant. We needed someone to step up and he was the one that did it. We’ve scored six goals in the two league we played in their absence and Ox scored one third of them. Good for him. I’m made up for him as he’s a top lad. Of course this one probably shouldn’t have counted because Bobby was offside, but I’ll talk about that shortly. 

 

We had gone in front early through Virgil’s thumping header from a Robbo corner. About time. He should be scoring half a dozen of these a season. Even at that early stage the goal had been coming as we’d started the game looking really sharp with and without the ball. That opening 30-35 minutes or so was right up there with anything we’ve produced all season.

 

Palace were overwhelmed, they couldn’t get out and they couldn’t put more than a couple of passes together before we won it back. It was us at our best and we looked really good in and around the box, especially on the left where Robbo and Jota linked up well a few times early on. Curtis was bossing it in midfield too.

 

So all good, especially when we got the second goal. Lovely cross by Robbo and a fine finish at the back post by Ox, but Bobby was offside in the middle and he made an attempt to head the ball. He didn’t quite get a touch on it but his presence impacts the positioning of the defenders. I don’t know why that isn’t offside but VAR looked and said it was fine, so what do I know? 

 

 

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[rubble-rouser]

I was there. Didn't hear any 'victim' or 'sign on' nonsense. 

 

I know not everyone likes the Holmesdale Ultras or whatever they call themselves, but I've been going to aways at Selhurst for 25 years and the atmosphere has got a lot better and less Tory Middle England since the Ultras thing started.  

[HolyHank]

I don't want to be complaining, as I love the guy and think he still is ace, but Virg has lost a yard of pace, hasn't he? Teams are looking to get in behind him, something he used to deal quite easily with before his injury. Now he seems to struggle, especially when he has to turn. 

[dockers_strike]

11 minutes ago, HolyHank said:

I don't want to be complaining, as I love the guy and think he still is ace, but Virg has lost a yard of pace, hasn't he? Teams are looking to get in behind him, something he used to deal quite easily with before his injury. Now he seems to struggle, especially when he has to turn. 

I think a lot of people thought Virgil would recover and be back to his old self after his operation and recuperation, it was just a matter of time. But, he's lucky that twat pickford didnt end his career.

 

Jurgen made a comment about Virgil recently that 'some' things wouldnt be the same with him after the injury. I guess having one of your knees rebuilt results in you not being as quick as you once were.

[rubble-rouser]

27 minutes ago, HolyHank said:

I don't want to be complaining, as I love the guy and think he still is ace, but Virg has lost a yard of pace, hasn't he? Teams are looking to get in behind him, something he used to deal quite easily with before his injury. Now he seems to struggle, especially when he has to turn. 

Yep. It makes playing the high line very difficult. Remember in 18/19 at Wolves when he gave Traore a head star and coasted past him? No chance we see that Virgil again I'm afraid. It means it's easier for people to go past him. I think after this season we'll see Konate as a first choice CB alongside Virgil as he does look quick. 

 

Gomez and VVD 2 years ago had phenomenal recovery pace. Hard to know whether Joe will still have that after his injury (I suspect it's academic to  us anyway).   

[DaveT]

31 minutes ago, HolyHank said:

I don't want to be complaining, as I love the guy and think he still is ace, but Virg has lost a yard of pace, hasn't he? Teams are looking to get in behind him, something he used to deal quite easily with before his injury. Now he seems to struggle, especially when he has to turn. 

I said the same after the West Ham game and somebody shot me down. It’s pretty clear that he’s a bit short of where he was pre-injury, hopefully he’ll get that back or at least learn to fully adjust. 

[dockers_strike]

Good report.

 

Interesting take on the penalty decision. Im convinced it was a stonewaller. No doubt Jota will be blatantly hacked down in the box and refs wont give him a pen, not that many have done, given the fuss created by every single pundit. Carragher can fuck off. He's royally pocketing Sky's shilling.

 

Why? Well if an outfield player clears out a player after he's played the ball it's a foul, a direct free kick. Any defending player doing it in the box and it's a foul and a direct free kick. In other words, a pen.

 

Must admit, I was concerned Ox's goal would be ruled out after Bobby's offside leap and I thought one of the 2 players involved for Palace's goal was offside, then came back onside then played a forward pass for the goal.

 

How come we see linos giving the offside coming back onside arm movement frequently in those situations during games? Where's Carragher, Redknapp and Lineker's indignation on that goal standing? Bunch of twats.

 

Onwards Reds!

[KMD7]

I saw Virg put on the burners in one of our matches a few and he looked as good as ever. Agree though that when he has to turn and run he doesn't look the same. 

[rb14]

2 hours ago, tlw content said:

It’s not a penalty

Micah Usher.

 

Stonewall pen. The more I watch it, the more certain I am. From where I was sat, it looked a pen, but I didn't have the greatest view. Thing is though, the keeper, who was NEVER getting the ball, clatters Jota. It wouldn't have mattered whether Jota did or didn't make contact with the ball, the keeper's movement made contact inevitable. Stonewall pen.

 

And I heard no "sign on" or similar singing from them. Lots of scouse hatred from individuals but nothing collectively.

[Anubis]

Not that it’s of much interest, but Winter is on Twitter genuinely insinuating the game was fixed. You couldn’t make it up.

 

 

[Bobby Hundreds]

I think its far far more likely we will drop more points than city in the remaining games than us catching up. We're so weird sometimes, play brilliant and then one mistake and the entire side falls apart basic passing goes astray and even when we're struggling under pressure we're trying back heels or forcing the issue I just wish we could reign back sometimes take the sting out of the game a bit quicker, find composure and then go through the gears again. I know there's opposition and you dont always get to do things your own way but the game management could be better sometimes. 

[Babb'sBurstNad]

No one will convince me I don't have a good knowledge of football, I impressed myself with what I said about it not being a penalty as I saw Dave Usher say the exact same after I had wrote it.

[dockers_strike]

That's actually a defamatory and libellous comment by Winter about the game. Hope he gets pulled for that but I doubt it.

[Mikhail]

When City got game-altering penalties against Wolves and Arsenal there wasn't half the noise Liverpool had to deal with when they got a penalty when leading 2 - 1 in the 89th minute.

 

Fuck the pundits when they start giving City that same energy maybe I'll feel bad but nah. I'm also sick of these I'm a Liverpool fan but I even I thought that penalty was soft showoffs when the shoe is on the other foot these pundits and fans of other clubs will have no mercy on us.

 

Take the points and go home fuck everyone else.

 

 

[Anubis]

57 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

That's actually a defamatory and libellous comment by Winter about the game. Hope he gets pulled for that but I doubt it.

Looking at the thread again, in fairness I don’t think he is saying it’s fixed, rather that the officials are just poor, but the tweet in isolation is ambiguous.

[dockers_strike]

5 minutes ago, Anubis said:

Looking at the thread again, in fairness I don’t think he is saying it’s fixed, rather that the officials are just poor, but the tweet in isolation is ambiguous.

I think you mean unambiguous. Reading it, I dont get the vibe he's thinking only 2 games in the last 37 years he's been watching have had poor officials. He's clearly suggestting the result was fixed.

[dave u]

2 hours ago, Anubis said:

Not that it’s of much interest, but Winter is on Twitter genuinely insinuating the game was fixed. You couldn’t make it up.

 

 

 

I'm honestly starting to think he's on Man City's payroll. Awful posh cunt.

[Arnaud]

We’re not done with Afcon, we don’t know how the lads will feel after one month away at 35 degrees. They may need time to adjust themselves back to PL…. 

 

At least, Keita is flying back home, not injured and playing well !

[beejay]

Man City have a huge PR dept feeding stories to the media and it's curious that a few Saudi friendly puff stuff has started to appear now as well. 

 

Wasn't a penalty but the same ref on VAR was the one who didn't give the Ederson charge out of his goal that wiped out Ryan Fraser of Newcastle for the most blatant penalty you could ever see. 

[Josef Svejk]

I don't care about the penalty at this stage. Boring discussion of non-decisive goal. 

 

But I don't understand the fuss over our second goal or their first goal. I'm not going to moan about a certain level of consistency on these matters, whether I agree with the interpretation  of the rule or not. Basically, if you don't touch the ball or impede the 'keeper at the moment of being offside, then it's fine. 

[Em City]

10 hours ago, KMD7 said:

I saw Virg put on the burners in one of our matches a few and he looked as good as ever. Agree though that when he has to turn and run he doesn't look the same. 

 

I think it's a mental thing. With knee injuries especially, you're always in fear something is going to tear again.

10 hours ago, Anubis said:

Not that it’s of much interest, but Winter is on Twitter genuinely insinuating the game was fixed. You couldn’t make it up.

 

 

 

Him and Bluto Samuel are probably on City's shadow payroll.

[Guest]

 

[Barnesey]

The current interpretation of the offside law is nonsense and makes defending harder. Bobby’s second at Watford was a more blatant example but, under the current view, our second and their goal should stand. 
 

I don’t think Virg has deteriorated; he stopped for their goal to catch Eduardo offside. Fluke pass meant for him rather than mateta. 
 

Their fans are decent but ive heard them better than Sunday. Very quiet first half. Thought we were better than it came across on MOTD. I’m sure they tweak the microphones to suit. Utd aways seem to be loud but often made by only a few voices. My paranoia I guess.