So like I said at the start the main thing about this game was ensuring the result was the right one, especially with how many points we are behind Arsenal and City and thankfully we got the right result. At the moment it feels like we are papering over the cracks but I will take that every day of the week, our injury crisis at the minute is no joke, our lack of options from the bench is no joke and we need to stick together now and grind out results for when we get a full squad back we are ready to crack on and put the pressure on those above us.
The performance itself quality-wise was woeful, our midfield looked open for all to get through and that left our defenders exposed and even more open than the midfield. I am starting to get really worried about how many times we have been conceding first, we really need to get back to basics and ensure we are solid defensively first and then look to get our goals. Frustrating to see Henderson today, he wasn't positive at all in his play and seemed to slow play down quite a bit, I got into Milner the other day but I can't say Henderson has been much better. I would love to see Elliot and Carvalho play in midfield but it would be an extremely tough ask for Fab to cover two creative individuals in midfield, do we think he is up for it? I am not too sure.
I think Trent was actually dropped as Klopp had enough from his lax defending and just general disinterest to track back. I said it before and will say it again when Matip is back fully fit I want to see Gomez be a real alternative to Trent, he needs a push to improve his defensive positioning and willingness to track back.
Now to the positives, Elliot looked majestical at times, yes he overrun the ball once or twice but he is a f**king teen, he is still learning on the job and he was one of the few that showed they wanted to make a mark on the game and he definitely did. For me, he is a starter week in and week out unless his form starts to dip. Bobby showed up again and if it wasn't for his brilliant finish we may not have made it back into the game at all, he also looked like a creative threat in the first half when nobody else really did. Salah and Diaz were nuisances at times more so Diaz than Salah but Mo always gets his contributions, two assists after an all-around poor performance. Fabio feels like a star, what a finish, would love to see him play from the start but at the same time, he is becoming a real impact of the bench.
Karma is real, Newcastle was pathetic with their time wasting, Eddie Howe can go f**k himself saying there was no gamesmanship just they had a less day recovery than us so there was fatigue. Thank you, Fab for that beautiful finish and what a reaction from the fans after that goal, Anfield was well and truly rocking and the passion from Klopp at the end can only do us good going into the Merseyside derby.
YNWA
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