Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0 (Sep 3 2023)

[tlw content]

 

Massive win this in terms of how the fans can start to see this team. We’re still in that new stage with this group of players which means it’s difficult to know what we’re going to get. Throughout all the Klopp glory years there was a level of trust and confidence in what the players were going to serve up and generally we knew what to expect. We’re not there yet with “Liverpool rebooted”. How could we be, we’re only four games in.

 

The start of this season has been mad. Really up and down with some strange circumstances that have made it almost impossible to know who we are and where we’re at. A Jeckyll and Hyde display at Chelsea, a terrible start at Bournemouth followed by a decent enough recovery but then having to play with ten men for half an hour just when it looked like we were about to really click into gear. And then last week. A rough start followed by a show of great resilience, character and tactical acumen against Newcastle, but we did it with ten men for an hour so that told us nothing about how we’d fare in a game like this one.

 

It was hard to take anything from any of those games in terms of where we’re at and how we’re playing. This one though, this is the first game of the season we can actually judge based on what we saw. And it was really fucking impressive. There’s a lot to take from this game and we saw why Klopp was so bullish with his pre-match declaration that “I love this team. You will love this team too if you give it time”.

 

I don’t know if this team will reach the heights that Klopp’s first Liverpool side did, but I do know they’ll be fun to watch and we’ll enjoy watching them. The rebuild isn’t complete yet as there are still gaps that need filling, but Mac Allister and Szoboszlai are top class and we can see that immediately. There’s no bedding in period for them, they’re just ready made quality. 

 

Mind you, they did have a full pre-season here which massively helps. The way we handled our business after that left us short handed and Endo and Gravenberch will need time to acclimatise. The good thing is we’re not desperate for them to come in and immediately hit top form. We can be patient because we’ve got other options.

 

One of those, Curtis Jones, returned to the side for this game and while he didn’t do anything that made him stand out, he’s going to be a big player for us in this new set up, as he was at the end of last season. He presses superbly and never loses the ball. Ever. Considering how we want to play now, that’s a big deal. Most of our vulnerable moments come when someone (so far usually Trent) loses the ball cheaply and puts us on the back foot. Jones being on the pitch really helps us control the game, which then allows others to do their thing. Others like Szoboszlai and the strikers.

 

My boy got a start after his match winning cameo at Newcastle and he needs to stay in the side now. He’s such a massive threat and he’s got a really good understanding with Mo. They have had that from day one, but the opportunity to build on it hasn’t really been there because Darwin has been on the bench so often. They enjoy playing together though, you can see it.

 

For so long we had the false nine and the two wide men making diagonal runs in behind, but we’re a different team now. We don’t need to replicate that because Diaz isn’t Mané and Gakpo isn’t Firmino. Cody does share a lot of Bobby traits, but we have a new midfield now with different skill profiles and a different set up behind the forwards. We don’t need a locksmith to carefully open the door for others, we’re fine with a battering ram who can smash it in by himself.

 

To put it another way, we have two midfielders in advanced positions now, whereas previously we had none, so Bobby (and then Cody) would drop into that space to play between the lines. We don’t need that now, we need to stretch teams with runners in behind. Nunez does that brilliantly and I reckon opponents must hate facing him. Nobody likes facing pace and someone who runs in behind all the time. Him and Mo ran Villa’s high line ragged.

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[Jose Jones]

We got Tsimikas instead of the Norwich kid because they tried to gouge us on price, then they cried it in about how we went and bought someone else instead of giving them £20 million and ruined his dream.

[dave u]

Should have mentioned this in the report but I forgot. Simon Hooper had a good game. I'm quick enough to slag them off so credit where it's due.

 

Also forgot to mention how shit the Villa fans were. I did bring it up on the pod but Code wants everything in writing so I'll reference it here for his benefit. Their fans were shit and didn't make a sound until 80 minutes. We won't see a less interested fanbase at Anfield all season.

[dave u]

1 minute ago, Jose Jones said:

We got Tsimikas instead of the Norwich kid because they tried to gouge us on price, then they cried it in about how we went and bought someone else instead of giving them £20 million and ruined his dream.

 

Oh yeah. Who was it we were linked with before Robbo? We got linked with all sorts as we had Milner playing there for a season.

[Trumo]

DiaBY.

[dave u]

Just now, Trumo said:

DiaBY.

 

Some fucker was calling him Diallo and confused me. Wish I could remember who, but if my memory was that good I'd have known it was Diaby.

[aws]

21 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

Some fucker was calling him Diallo and confused me. Wish I could remember who, but if my memory was that good I'd have known it was Diaby.

Thought Diallo was just how you pronounced it. 

[Bad Red Bull]

3 hours ago, dave u said:

 

Oh yeah. Who was it we were linked with before Robbo? We got linked with all sorts as we had Milner playing there for a season.

From what I recall, Sead Kolasinac(sp?) who went to Arsenal, Ryan Sessegnon (Spurs, where is he now?) and Benjamin Mendy (didn’t pass the no dickhead test, I suppose).

[Waitak]

5 hours ago, dave u said:

Should have mentioned this in the report but I forgot. Simon Hooper had a good game. I'm quick enough to slag them off so credit where it's due.

Totally agree. He was virtually invisible, as a good ref should be, yet was always in control of the game. 

[Paul]

“Game recognises game, I know a thing or two about centre forward play, but don’t just take my word for it though. Other top strikers like Shearer, Owen and Wright all rave about Nunez too. We can’t all be wrong.”

 

Amazing. 

[Paul]

You’re deffo laying the early ground work for “my boy” status with Diaby in anticipation of him becoming the Mo replacement, by the way. I see you, Usher. 

[Dr Nowt]

Weren’t we after Chilwell before Robbo, a season or two before Chelsea bought him.

[dave u]

9 hours ago, aws said:

Thought Diallo was just how you pronounced it. 

 

Oh this is good. Well played.

[dave u]

6 hours ago, Bad Red Bull said:

From what I recall, Sead Kolasinac(sp?) who went to Arsenal, Ryan Sessegnon (Spurs, where is he now?) and Benjamin Mendy (didn’t pass the no dickhead test, I suppose).

 

1 hour ago, Dr Nowt said:

Weren’t we after Chilwell before Robbo, a season or two before Chelsea bought him.

 

So I got the time frame wrong on Lewis, but the overall point is re-enforced with those names as Chilwell is the only one of those who didn't turn out to be a disaster. Sliding doors moments.

[deiseach]

2 hours ago, Paul said:

“Game recognises game, I know a thing or two about centre forward play, but don’t just take my word for it though. Other top strikers like Shearer, Owen and Wright all rave about Nunez too. We can’t all be wrong.”

 

Amazing. 

 

I'm wondering whether that's Ian Ush or Kenny Dalglush talking.

[dave u]

3 minutes ago, deiseach said:

 

I'm wondering whether that's Ian Ush or Kenny Dalglush talking.

 

It's both.

[deiseach]

12 minutes ago, dave u said:

It's both.

 

That's some player. 

[JustTosh]

11 hours ago, tlw content said:

.....I couldn’t believe what Villa were doing though, That high line was just ripe for the picking.....

Thanks, great report after a great game.

 

I can't remember who, but I heard some pundit say something like: "There's a huge difference between pressing high and simply playing a high line...". We had Mo, Diaz and Darwin, all players with speed who likes to make those runs in behind. There was absolutetly no chance a high line could work.

 

Before Klopp 2.0 we really didn't have midfielders threatening to score from outside the box. Now, we have Szobo, Gary Mac and Trent. We'll se more goals from midfield this season and as a result also see gaps appear for throughballs and balls over the top when defences try to prevent goals from a distance.

 

[Section_31]

Great report Dave.

 

Thought MOTD did some interesting analysis around Trent essentially swapping positions with the CB when the pressure was off so he had time to spray the ball around, which looks really promising. The damage that could do with Szoboszlai and Mac running on, as well as the front three, will be immense once it kicks in. 

[dave u]

3 hours ago, deiseach said:

 

That's some player. 

 

Thanks mate.

[sir roger]

2 hours ago, JustTosh said:

Before Klopp 2.0 we really didn't have midfielders threatening to score from outside the box. Now, we have Szobo, Gary Mac and Trent. We'll se more goals from midfield this season and as a result also see gaps appear for throughballs and balls over the top when defences try to prevent goals from a distance.

 

 

Agree that this is a good thing, and it is not only the goals from the midfield, it is the follow ups like Jota's v Bournemouth, and ones where the ball pings around from partial blocks / deflections and leads to a chance.

[dave u]

Hhhhhhravenberchhhhhhhhhh has a dig on him too.

[niallers]

Makes all the difference. Great angle

 

[Chocoholic]

If Gomez continues in the same form, when Van Dijk comes back, it would almost certainly be Matip who drops out, not Gomez. Then it's down to him to see if he can keep the shirt ahead of Konate. 

[dave u]

32 minutes ago, Chocoholic said:

If Gomez continues in the same form, when Van Dijk comes back, it would almost certainly be Matip who drops out, not Gomez. Then it's down to him to see if he can keep the shirt ahead of Konate. 

 

I'm assuming Konate is back after the break as Klopp said it was very minor.