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Liverpool 4 Manchester United 0 (Apr 20 2022)


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Report by
John Brennan

 

Even when the stakes are relatively low in this game, I always have a sick feeling in my stomach. Pre-match cockiness from some as to how many we’d score (some said four, others five) didn’t do anything to quell nerves.  Fortunately, these boys don’t hang around and within five minutes – never mind that – from the kick-off, the result was never in doubt. 

 

Klopp decided to go what one could easily argue is our first-choice 11. The back four (despite Konaté’s recent brilliance) picks itself, as do the midfield and front three. Henderson has been at the core of everything good about the Club in the last ten years, on and off the park, and on the big days, there’s nobody I would rather have leading us. The front three is probably the trickiest of the lines to pin down as it’s a toss-up between Jota and Diaz for the third spot. Diaz, with his pace and touch at this stage of the season, just shades it though, for me. What a choice to have going into the last 10 or so games!

 

The Ground was rocking, as we knew it would be with ‘‘Them’’ in town and with the stakes so high. One of the most admirable things about this group – and there is so much to admire – is their ability to deliver in high pressure games. We’ve seen it over the last number of years, whether in the League or in Europe (and they have added the domestic Cups to their bow this season). We HAVE to win every game because of what City are doing (illegally, of course: Brighton tickets are available in all parts of the Etihad for the game tonight, but they are self-financing their ‘‘glory’’, of course they are). Playing these just 72 hours after our Wembley wizardry and on the back of a European Cup quarter-final and a visit to the Etihad could have proved tricky. However, it was anything but and the Reds treated us to total football and our 128th, 129th, 130th and 131st goals of the season. Extraordinary.

 

So, how about that first half ? The Reds were absolutely imperious, all ten of them. Alisson, in black, could have nipped into The Albert and had a couple of ales, so anaemic were United. He did, however, play a part in both goals in that opening half. 

 

The two goals were the epitome of everything that is good about this team: desire to show for the ball, movement off the ball, technical ability on the ball, picking out the right man, taking your chances, with everything being done at breakneck speed at the end. Just astounding football.

 

The first came at the end of a 13-pass move. Diaz has been a revelation; before, it took a while for Klopp to integrate new signings into the team (Fabinho is a case in point). Now, while we may not be buying the finished product (there’s so much more to come from Jota and Diaz) when they arrive, they slot in seamlessly. It’s all about the system and whether it’s Diaz or Sadio on the left with Andy or Kostas, everything just flows so naturally. 

 

If United were on the back foot from the get-go, they were punch drunk after we went one up so quickly. Pogba didn’t fancy it and was no doubt happy to get out of there. Our intent never let up, we were first to every ball and every second ball, and it was only a matter of time before that second goal came, given our hunger and United’s lack thereof. 

 

The second came at the end of a (vidiprinter alert) TWENTY-FIVE pass move. Well, 24 passes plus the ball of the century from Sadio. What a goal! Diaz gets the ball on 20 minutes and 4 seconds and Mo scores after 21 minutes and 19 seconds. A remarkable goal, Klopp’s Reds at their finest. It’s great to see Mo back scoring , just as the business-end of the season comes around. He’s been quiet of late but only by his unbelievable standards and even then, he’s been instrumental in some of our best stuff (the ball to Sadio at the Etihad, for example).  

 

Even after the goals, the energy levels remained really high. Another remarkable thing  Klopp has managed to do of late is to maintain the rhythm of the team while making changes. That showed again tonight, as Konaté and Keita dropped out and Joel and Hendo came in. Rotation is the name of the game and he seems to have got it down to a fine art. He mentioned that the players are all contributing greatly in training and I am sure we will see another couple of changes for Sunday.

 

Of course, it’s easier to stay fresh when you keep the ball and this is something we’ve been doing better and better of late, in no small part thanks to Thiago. What a player and what a performance. He alone can dictate the pace of our play and those passes between the lines have made us even more dangerous than before; he can take out four or five opposition players with one pass. The movement of the front three – Diaz and Mané in particular never stopped all evening – allied to Thiago’s vision and accuracy were, as the Kop sang, ‘poetry in motion’.

 

United changed things around tactically at half-time with Sancho coming on for Jones. This led to them playing higher up the pitch and there was a period at the start of the start of the second half where we had to adapt to that. Klopp referenced that in his post-game press conference and once we got to grips with the tactical change, we were back to the incisive, flowing football of the first half. Klopp also mentioned how good our counter-press was – a sure sign that we are purring! 

 

Indeed, that press was at the origin of Sadio’s goal on 68 minutes with Andy pushing up, winning the ball back and creating the opportunity. The movement from the front three was great, Diaz’s ball was perfect and the finish was fantastic.  3-0 up, foot off the pedal? Not at all. Watch back and you’ll see a rabid Hendo a minute later chasing down Rashford and getting in Fernandez’s ear. My captain. 

 

Jota came on then for Diaz, who went off to a deserved rousing reception. A goal. An assist. A nuisance.  

 

From then on it was a case of game management, with Mo’s second after a magnificent through ball from Jota the icing on the cake in front of a raucous Anfield. Thiago made way for Keita and got the standing ovation his man-of-the-match performance deserved.

 

It would be remiss of me not to point out the usual ‘repertoire’ from the away end vermin. It’s not a minority, just as it’s not a minority at Old Trafford when they sing.

 

Anyway, we’ll take the six points and plus nine goal difference, ta. Some of them got off before the end, just as they did at Old Trafford. ‘You love to see those empty red seats’, don’t you? Anyone check on Fergie at the end?

 

At the start of the season we could have hoped to play a maximum of 63 games. As things stand, we’re guaranteed to play 62. In the 53 we’ve played up to now, we’ve won 39 and have a goal difference of plus 90. Extraordinary numbers from an extraordinary team. I feel fine.

 

Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho (Milner), Henderson, Thiago (Keita); Salah, Mané, (Diaz) Jota:

 

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Thanks to JB for stepping in on this. It's my mum's funeral tomorrow so got lots of last minute running around to do and after doing the pod I was pushed for time and John kindly offered to help.

 

Some random thoughts:

 

Trent's defending in one v situations was outstanding. Again. It's just lazy to trot out the daft "great going forward but poor defensively" shite. There aren't many better defensively and there are none better offensively.

 

Robbo was sensational.

 

Pogba couldn't get off that pitch quick enough after we scored. Last time he got himself sent off so he didn't have to deal with us, this time he just feigned injury. I wish he'd stayed on because in a game like this when you need to work, run and show some pride, Jesse Lingard is a much better player than that absolute fraud.

 

The applause and YNWA for Ronaldo was pretty much the entire stadium. The away end will have HATED that. They behaved the way I expected. Vile.

 

Sadio at centre forward has been a revelation. I read that he's just matched the career goal tally of Giggs despite playing about a thousand less games. Sadio is great and Giggs may well be the most over-rated player in history not named Scholes.

 

Thiago. Fucking hell. Thiago. Unbelievable again. He was so good that at one point Robbo just stopped playing and was applauding like the crowd were. 

 

Diaz has had such a massive impact and not just with what he himself has done. Everyone else has had a lift with him coming in. Thanks Spurs, because if you hadn't gone in for him we'd have waited until the summer.

 

Hendo was brilliant. I knew he would be.

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12 hours ago, dave u said:

Thanks to JB for stepping in on this. It's my mum's funeral tomorrow so got lots of last minute running around to do and after doing the pod I was pushed for time and John kindly offered to help.

 

Some random thoughts:

 

Trent's defending in one v situations was outstanding. Again. It's just lazy to trot out the daft "great going forward but poor defensively" shite. There aren't many better defensively and there are none better offensively.

 

Robbo was sensational.

 

Pogba couldn't get off that pitch quick enough after we scored. Last time he got himself sent off so he didn't have to deal with us, this time he just feigned injury. I wish he'd stayed on because in a game like this when you need to work, run and show some pride, Jesse Lingard is a much better player than that absolute fraud.

 

The applause and YNWA for Ronaldo was pretty much the entire stadium. The away end will have HATED that. They behaved the way I expected. Vile.

 

Sadio at centre forward has been a revelation. I read that he's just matched the career goal tally of Giggs despite playing about a thousand less games. Sadio is great and Giggs may well be the most over-rated player in history not named Scholes.

 

Thiago. Fucking hell. Thiago. Unbelievable again. He was so good that at one point Robbo just stopped playing and was applauding like the crowd were. 

 

Diaz has had such a massive impact and not just with what he himself has done. Everyone else has had a lift with him coming in. Thanks Spurs, because if you hadn't gone in for him we'd have waited until the summer.

 

Hendo was brilliant. I knew he would be.

My deepest condolences, Dave. I’m very sorry for your loss. Hope you’re doing okay. 

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20 hours ago, dave u said:

Thanks to JB for stepping in on this. It's my mum's funeral tomorrow so got lots of last minute running around to do and after doing the pod I was pushed for time and John kindly offered to help.

 

Some random thoughts:

 

Trent's defending in one v situations was outstanding. Again. It's just lazy to trot out the daft "great going forward but poor defensively" shite. There aren't many better defensively and there are none better offensively.

 

Robbo was sensational.

 

Pogba couldn't get off that pitch quick enough after we scored. Last time he got himself sent off so he didn't have to deal with us, this time he just feigned injury. I wish he'd stayed on because in a game like this when you need to work, run and show some pride, Jesse Lingard is a much better player than that absolute fraud.

 

The applause and YNWA for Ronaldo was pretty much the entire stadium. The away end will have HATED that. They behaved the way I expected. Vile.

 

Sadio at centre forward has been a revelation. I read that he's just matched the career goal tally of Giggs despite playing about a thousand less games. Sadio is great and Giggs may well be the most over-rated player in history not named Scholes.

 

Thiago. Fucking hell. Thiago. Unbelievable again. He was so good that at one point Robbo just stopped playing and was applauding like the crowd were. 

 

Diaz has had such a massive impact and not just with what he himself has done. Everyone else has had a lift with him coming in. Thanks Spurs, because if you hadn't gone in for him we'd have waited until the summer.

 

Hendo was brilliant. I knew he would be.

Diaz’s secret is out. There are two of them. Just watched the beginning of inside anfield and the evidence is clear. They’re even walking together in broad daylight.

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