Liverpool 3 Burnley 1 (Feb 10 2024)

[tlw content]

It wasn’t exactly the bounce back from the Arsenal game I hoped for, but a win is a win and in the end I was just relieved we got it. For a while there this wasn’t going very well and there was the potential for us to drop points, which given the opposition would have been unthinkable. You have to beat Burnley at home. And we did, in the end.

 

The first half was awful I thought. Just slow, passive, turgid shite. The goal we scored was a gift from a corner, which we then promptly gifted back to them in similar fashion. I don’t think anyone could suggest that we deserved to be ahead at the break. We never got going at all in that half.

 

Klopp’s explanation for it was that we were in too much of a hurry and kept trying to force it. I thought it was the opposite. There was no urgency in anything we did, everything was slow and laboured and the only time we were able to break out of that was when Nunez was able to run in behind. He was playing with urgency and at his usual level of intensity, not too many others were.

 

That being said, in hindsight there are clearly reasons for that. At the time my feeling was that we just had a massive hangover from last week. Crowd and players both feeding off the others melancholy. I’m almost certainly just projecting my own feelings onto others there though. That Arsenal loss has stayed with me, I wasn’t able to shake it all week and even now as I write this it’s still with me.

 

I definitely think the crowd were feeling it. Not helped by City having already played and gone top. The sense of “here we go again” is hard to escape, and when the team came out as flat as they did it just fed into it. But on reflection I don’t think last week really had much impact on the players, I think other factors affected them.

 

Not least the flu bug that’s gone around the camp and ruled out Alisson and Gomez. We don’t know who else had been suffering from it either. Some of those in the starting line up may well have had it during the week, or may have just been starting to feel it.

 

Then there’s the late changes to the side and players being shifted about. Kelleher came in at the last minute, Quansah replaced Konate but is doing a completely different job to when he’s playing in Virgil’s spot. Playing right sided centre back when Trent is the right back and is wandering infield is tough. Konate makes it look easy, but it’s not. Add to that Robbo making his first start in four months too.

 

Then the midfield had a new look about it. Endo returned, meaning Macca got to play further forward. It looks like he’s forgotten how to do it as it’s been so long. I think he’ll be brilliant in that role but it takes time to learn and he’s been learning to play the six the whole season. It didn’t look fluid.

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[Anubis]

This guy has nailed the Main Stand.

 

[StevieMax]

I fully agree with Harvey being MOM as his energy was key for the faster paced second half.

But the other tactical change was that Jones and Robertson played as two wide overlapping full backs - which stretched the Burnley defence and also made Endo and Mac Allister more effective going forwards.

[Supremolad]

Great match report, Dave. Balanced and fair as these mostly are. I liked that Kelleher was given credit and no blame was attached to him for the goal. Unlike a few unrealistic posters on here who are arguing that goal was a fuck up by Kelleher.

 

Alisson is the best goalie in the world and even he wouldn't have saved it. He probably wouldn't even have dived, seeing as he didn't dive for a similar header scored by Gabriel at Anfield.

[Supremolad]

Not sure how the coaches would get Nunez out of this habit of missing those 1 v 1s. He clearly has good finishing ability, so I believe those misses are a mental block. The more he misses the 1 v 1s, the more it plays on his mind for the next time he goes through.

 

And the sad thing is those type of misses are more memorable and that's why it's easy to criticise him for them. For example, Jota has missed numerous chances over the past few games, but none are memorable.

 

And that's not knocking Jota. Forwards miss chances all the time. In fact, the very best of them approximately have a 25% conversion rate. Meaning the very best miss 75% of their chances. Darwin just tends to miss his in a more spectacular way.

[Barnesey]

I get very frustrated at the pace of our play at the back. The keeper and centre backs dawdle whenever in possession and regularly go backwards. But my lad pointed out this is a deliberate plan to draw the opposition from their defensive shape. Not sure I’m fully on board but if we keep winning….

 

i have been mildly critical of Kelleher recently so happy to praise a good game satdee. 

[sir roger]

Darwin seemed to lose his footing slightly on the late chance and ended up having to improvise with a toe-poke. I have noticed on TV that the pitch seems quite boggy in patches, are we still hammering it with the sprinklers before games and at half time ?

[Pete]

Was enjoyable reading the match thread during the game.  

 

[dave u]

2 hours ago, sir roger said:

Darwin seemed to lose his footing slightly on the late chance and ended up having to improvise with a toe-poke. I have noticed on TV that the pitch seems quite boggy in patches, are we still hammering it with the sprinklers before games and at half time ?

 

Now imagine if I'd have said that!

[dave u]

14 hours ago, Anubis said:

This guy has nailed the Main Stand.

 

 

This fucking grass must sit in front of me and John.

[Fowlers God]

I havent read the match thread yet and can see someone has commented above that Kelleher has got some shite over the goal. 

 

I know Dave you have commented on the "would Ali have saved it" from your opinion but as an ex GK I feel that I can comment here; Now I do believe that Kelleher is awesome and I dont think he had a bad game at all but please re watch the goal. 

 

There is an angle from behind the goal that shows it best. Kelleher's right foot crosses his standing leg (Left) to reach with his right hand for the goal. It might not look a lot but this small movement means he has more ground to make up. - And he doesnt make it up here. 

 

If you were watching Ali I would like to assume as have seen it numerous times before that his left leg is the one that moves towards the ball first with is right shuffling across.  

 

As GK we are always going to "save" the ball with our strongest arm first; like kicking with your stronger foot- You are always going to chose first. And therefore with the slight foot movement taking a split second longer that with the foot shuffle; this crossing of his leg gives him that disadvantage. 

 

I know this may feel like splitting hairs but it really is fine margins at this level of the game that can and could make all the difference. 

[Kevin D]

17 hours ago, Anubis said:

This guy has nailed the Main Stand.

 

You get people saying all the time that letting young lads stand with their mates will help improve the atmosphere.

 

What it actually leads to is them talking about who they’re getting coke from after the match, which bar they’re going to, and sneering at people for singing at the wrong tempo.

[sir roger]

3 hours ago, dave u said:

 

This fucking grass must sit in front of me and John.

 

Snitches get stitches

[Jordy Brouwer]

I had to laugh when they moved Jones to fullback. 

 

Its great that he has that versatility and he did well there. It just that he seems to get further and further away from his original style of play. 

 

He was a viscous attacking weapon, practically an inside forward at times. 

 

His trajectory went from - Attacker - Attacker who is under instructions to recycle the ball, cut inside and not take risks, - Midfielder - Defensive Midfielder (for a time) and has now had his debut as full back. 

 

I'm half dreading Jones reaching his final destination during an acute goalkeeping crisis. 

 

"You can waggle you hips can't you lad? Do the Dudek Curtis! Do the Dudek!!

 

I still want to say he's my favorite player but he isn't the same player any more through no fault of his own. 

 

Its a great tribute to the lads adaptability and determination though. 

[stringvest]

7 hours ago, sir roger said:

Darwin seemed to lose his footing slightly on the late chance and ended up having to improvise with a toe-poke. I have noticed on TV that the pitch seems quite boggy in patches, are we still hammering it with the sprinklers before games and at half time ?

 

nah, he was too straight on - he needed to touch it to the side in order to get a proper controlled shot away

[The wanderer]

On 12/02/2024 at 16:56, Supremolad said:

Great match report, Dave. Balanced and fair as these mostly are. I liked that Kelleher was given credit and no blame was attached to him for the goal. Unlike a few unrealistic posters on here who are arguing that goal was a fuck up by Kelleher.

 

Alisson is the best goalie in the world and even he wouldn't have saved it. He probably wouldn't even have dived, seeing as he didn't dive for a similar header scored by Gabriel at Anfield.

I’m going back a long time now but that header reminded me of one that Paul Mariner scored for Ipswich in the Annie Rd end back in the 70’s

[sir roger]

16 hours ago, stringvest said:

 

nah, he was too straight on - he needed to touch it to the side in order to get a proper controlled shot away

 

That's true, but watching on a replay on Saturday I got the impression one of his legs buckled a bit and he just threw a toe-poke at it as a result. Not seen it since, might have to send up the Caramac signal.

[dave u]

1 hour ago, sir roger said:

 

That's true, but watching on a replay on Saturday I got the impression one of his legs buckled a bit and he just threw a toe-poke at it as a result. Not seen it since, might have to send up the Caramac signal.

 

You're right. I watched Mellor's review show this morning and there's an angle from the Anny Road camera where you can see that. He hasn't got his feet right to set himself and be able to pick his spot so he tries to poke it past the keeper.

[dave u]

18 hours ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

I had to laugh when they moved Jones to fullback. 

 

Its great that he has that versatility and he did well there. It just that he seems to get further and further away from his original style of play. 

 

He was a viscous attacking weapon, practically an inside forward at times. 

 

His trajectory went from - Attacker - Attacker who is under instructions to recycle the ball, cut inside and not take risks, - Midfielder - Defensive Midfielder (for a time) and has now had his debut as full back. 

 

I'm half dreading Jones reaching his final destination during an acute goalkeeping crisis. 

 

"You can waggle you hips can't you lad? Do the Dudek Curtis! Do the Dudek!!

 

I still want to say he's my favorite player but he isn't the same player any more through no fault of his own. 

 

Its a great tribute to the lads adaptability and determination though. 

 

Agree with every word of this. Youth team Curtis was an incredible attacking talent. There was a kids CL game he played in, may have been against Napoli, and I remember writing that it was almost unfair how much better than everyone he was. It was like how Messi would just run rings around people and there was nothing they could do.

[Code]

Curtis Jones 11 (+6) games - 925 minutes -  1 goal - 1 assist

 

Conor Bradley 2 (+ 0) games - 121 minutes - 1 goal - 3 assists

 

Mabe we can move Bradley into midfield straight away?

[Supremolad]

On 13/02/2024 at 12:15, Code said:

Curtis Jones 11 (+6) games - 925 minutes -  1 goal - 1 assist

 

Conor Bradley 2 (+ 0) games - 121 minutes - 1 goal - 3 assists

 

Mabe we can move Bradley into midfield straight away?

I see you're doing that silly cherry picking again and pretending that non-PL goals don't count.

 

I reckon we win the quadruple and you're out there telling everyone to stop calling it a quadruple because we actually only won the PL.