Sunderland 0:1 Liverpool. In game and post match debate.

I see a lot of negativity towards Firmino which I do understand,  but even though his overall play wasn't good, lets not forget that he was involved in 5-6 key chances that could've led to goals.

I personally think it's way too early to write Firmino off yet. He was terrible tonight and really ought to have got two assists and was unlucky to hit the post. There's a player in there.

Agree. He looks totally bewildered half the time, but then pulls a moment of absolute class. As he learns the language and adjusts to the league he should get better.

Looks like Skrtel better get used to sitting on the bench

Two clean sheets back to back - and winning ugly. UGLY!

Might get very interesting if we start to hit a bit of form

Away win, 3 more points, clean sheet, moved up level with the mancs, what more could a girl ask for?

Oh Christian, why didn't you just lob the keeper?? glad you scored one but could have easily been 2 there laa.

West Ham, you are next - not an easy game at all !!

BBC Sport just gave Emre Can the MOTM.

Unbelievable.

oh come on if you want to rely on Benteke to win us games close games and important games you are going to be disappointed;

Well he's won us the last two.

By the way Kevin Friend what an absolute Turd.

I personally think it's way too early to write Firmino off yet. He was terrible tonight and really ought to have got two assists and was unlucky to hit the post. There's a player in there.

I don't doubt his skills but how long he's already here 6 months? He would have seen enough what is needed of him in every game in the PL. He can't go missing game after game and expects others to shoulder his responsibilities. What I'm saying is he has to run 3 yards faster and start to tackle and harass the opponents ala Sammy Lee who did a much much better job at that height. He has to fast forget that he played in the Bundes league. Klopp is having too much patience with him and he is not responding. Honestly, I can only take that much. 

BBC Sport just gave Emre Can the MOTM.

Unbelievable.

He did well. Never stopped. Back four all did well too tho.
Niall Quinn gave it to Benteke ... just before he missed his sitter. Keep yer gob shut next time Nialler !!!!!!

he seems a bit jet lagged. I think playing the three of them was a mistake he needs to be a bit bolder in his play

Exacly. He needs to make his presence felt. Needs to be imposing, running and not jogging gingerly and put in those tackles and make those bursting runs forward.   

He did well. Never stopped. Back four all did well too tho.
Niall Quinn gave it to Benteke ... just before he missed his sitter. Keep yer gob shut next time Nialler !!!!!!

I thought he improved a lot when Lucas came on. I really think players like Can, Hendo or Milner need ball players sitting along side them so they'll be more focused on the grunt work in which they accelerate at.

Crap performance but great result which was badly needed too to keep pressure on those above us. I hate playing against fat Sam and was just happy we got out of there with three points.

It wasn't a great performance but I thought the back four did quite well again. Been impressed with Lovren who looks so much more comfortable alongside sakho than he does Skrtel. I've always thought Skrtel was a liability and I'm not surprised to see us picking clean sheets with him out the side.

Very disappointed with our play tonight though. We just have no creativity in us at all. We are so toothless going forward.

It's difficult to criticise him right now because we've got 6 points from our last two games and he has scored the winner both times but benteke is crap. His all round play is just awful. He really is sh*te.

Lallana is also sh*te. He plays every game for us in an attacking position and what does he do? What does he offer or bring to our side? He does a nice turn every now and then but that's about it. No goals, no assists. I'm not counting that tonight as an assist.

Firmino was poor tonight but he still should have had a hat trick and an assist if benteke put that chance away at the end.

Coutinho not involved. He's starting to frustrate me with all his long range shooting now too. He scores 1 every 50.

Thought can did ok but he doesn't do enough on the ball either. Works hard and closes a lot of space down and makes ground across the pitch but we need a bit more from him.

Agree with others that we are a team of wimps and we don't need to bring in nasty players as such but we need to bring in winners. Or turn the players we currently have into winners and we don't have enough - Or perhaps any!

We need to perform better than we did tonight if we are to beat West Ham but well done lads for bringing the points home.

Well we got the job done, which is more than can be said for previous years. Was always going to be a difficult game though playing any side down that end of the table, fighting for their lives. Onwards and upwards through 2016!

Looking at the table, who are the prime candidates to drop out of that top 4?

Has to be Spurs/Leicester in my opinion neither one looking like they're truly going to capitulate, think we need a really good second half of the season to squeeze in there. Hope that Jürgen does manager to bring in a couple in Jan, Keeper/Striker would be my preference but I really don't see a striker as an option with us having 4 on the books and the 5th probably being a short term solution.

A tough place to go to and win the performance was not spectacular but the 3 points were deserved I thought.

Lovren and Sakho looking better and better each game.

It looks like we lost 0-4 given the post game analysis.

"We have a poor keeper", who kept the most clean sheets in 2015.

"We have a poor defence" that just kept two clean sheets at the busiest time of the year.

"Benteke is crap" for a man who got us two goals, two wins, and a MOTM.

"We create nothing", for a side that had 17 goal attempts against Allardyce's bunch of rugby players.

The performance wasn't jaw dropping, but it didn't need to be, and I've seen worse. We just had to win, which we did. Offer me a 1-0 win at Sunderland in mid-winter, I'll take that, just as I did last year. Very few sides got 6 points from 6 this Christmas. We did.

Crap performance but great result which was badly needed too to keep pressure on those above us. I hate playing against fat Sam and was just happy we got out of there with three points.

It wasn't a great performance but I thought the back four did quite well again. Been impressed with Lovren who looks so much more comfortable alongside sakho than he does Skrtel. I've always thought Skrtel was a liability and I'm not surprised to see us picking clean sheets with him out the side.

Very disappointed with our play tonight though. We just have no creativity in us at all. We are so toothless going forward.

It's difficult to criticise him right now because we've got 6 points from our last two games and he has scored the winner both times but benteke is crap. His all round play is just awful. He really is sh*te.

Lallana is also sh*te. He plays every game for us in an attacking position and what does he do? What does he offer or bring to our side? He does a nice turn every now and then but that's about it. No goals, no assists. I'm not counting that tonight as an assist.

Firmino was poor tonight but he still should have had a hat trick and an assist if benteke put that chance away at the end.

Coutinho not involved. He's starting to frustrate me with all his long range shooting now too. He scores 1 every 50.

Thought can did ok but he doesn't do enough on the ball either. Works hard and closes a lot of space down and makes ground across the pitch but we need a bit more from him.

Agree with others that we are a team of wimps and we don't need to bring in nasty players as such but we need to bring in winners. Or turn the players we currently have into winners and we don't have enough - Or perhaps any!

We need to perform better than we did tonight if we are to beat West Ham but well done lads for bringing the points home.

Get a F***ing life.
We F***ing won.
We got three points and advanced on our rivals.

I'm not counting that tonight as an assist.

Bit harsh he might not have meant it, but without his touch, Benteke doesn't get in.

Wonder if we had a more mobile front man, maybe the guys in behind don't look so ineffective. Bit of chicken and egg. Still, think there's 3 of them in it, Firmino/Cou/Lallana all need to find a way to influence the game more.

Get a f**king life.
We f**king won.
We got three points and advanced on our rivals.

Yeah we struggled to beat  the 2nd worst team in the league 1-0 around to yours Stuey for a party?   

Looking at the table, who are the prime candidates to drop out of that top 4?

Has to be Spurs/Leicester in my opinion neither one looking like they're truly going to capitulate, think we need a really good second half of the season to squeeze in there. Hope that Jürgen does manager to bring in a couple in Jan, Keeper/Striker would be my preference but I really don't see a striker as an option with us having 4 on the books and the 5th probably being a short term solution.

Maybe a few loan to buy deals could be sorted out. A goalkeeper is always difficult to obtain in the mid-season window. The fact is, until Sturridge can prove that he can stay fit for long periods of time then we need more than usual.

Yeah we struggled to beat  the 2nd worst team in the league 1-0 around to yours Stuey for a party?   

Don't give a shiny one lad, we got three points.

"We have a poor keeper", who kept the most clean sheets in 2015.

This irritates me more than anything because you say it as though it's a good thing when in actual fact it is just highlighting just how many goals we let in when we do concede. When you get beaten 3-0, 6-1 etc in that calender year, I wouldn't go throwing around such a thing like "But he kept more clean sheets than anyone else" because in all honesty, it's pretty embarrassing and shines him, the defence and the rest of the team in a bad light. He may have kept clean sheets but for every clean sheet he has gotten, he has probably cost us just as many games himself alone.

He did well. Never stopped. Back four all did well too tho.
Niall Quinn gave it to Benteke ... just before he missed his sitter. Keep yer gob shut next time Nialler !!!!!!

thank you for this. can is a good young player and gives eveŕthing and is everywhere. i am bit biased because i really think he will develop into a very good midfielder. he gets alot stick, some of it justfiable but most is unwarrented imo.