Inching ever closer…

A few weeks ago, we were still somewhat nervously looking over our shoulder at Arsenal. The sickening stoppage time equaliser we conceded at Everton ahead of a tough run of fixtures against the likes of high flying Bournemouth, Villa, Newcastle and City, it felt like our cushion at the top of the table could have been eroded in the space of a couple of weeks and then the pressure on the boys would have become immense. One thing I was saying all the way through however, was I didn’t feel Arsenal had been consistent enough at any point of the season, to suggest they could put the kind of near perfect run together that they’d have needed to overhaul our lead at the top and a few weeks after the nervous glances we were casting, the season has followed the pattern it has from pretty much day one – we’ve found a way to grind out the required results, while Arsenal have proved inconsistent and lived up to their reputation of being bottle merchants when it really matters. This weekend has almost epitomised that – we were poor for much of the Southampton game but found a way to come from behind and win, while Arsenal were fairly dominant at Old Trafford, against a United side who had lost 5 out of their last 7 home games but failed to take their chances and ultimately had to settle for a draw and that draw will have surely signalled the final nail in the coffin for their faint title hopes, for even the most delusional of optimistic Arsenal fans.

The gap now stands at 15 points and our goal difference effectively counts as another point. Even with a game in hand, I’d be amazed if anyone still felt this was a title race in any kind of active way. Effectively, we’re just awaiting mathematical confirmation but surely even the most negative and pessimistic of Liverpool fans must feel the title is in the bag now. What a job Slot has done. This will go down as one of the best ever first seasons in managerial history and should we manage to bag the league cup as well, possibly THE best first domestic season when taking everything into account. He’s dispelled the myth that a manager needs to bring in his own players, as well as that a drop off is inevitable when a material icon leaves a club after years and years in charge. You really do have to take your hat off to those behind the scene who appointed him, as I’ll be the first to admit I was highly sceptical of the appointment and was actually (very cynically) questioning if he was a cheap fall guy to take the reins from Klopp, fail but then pave the way for the next top manager, who maybe wouldn’t have wanted the unenviable task of trying to fill Klopp’s giant shoes. How wrong I was and I couldn’t be more delighted to be not just proven wrong but proven so wrong, it’s actually hilarious!

Anyway, on to yesterday’s game… As we’ve seen so often, we were shockingly bad in the first half. Utterly toothless in attack, and giving Southampton hope and confidence, in allowing the counter to pretty much always be on and you could see the goal for them coming, albeit it was a car crash that came from a very uncharacteristic cock up between Virgil and Alisson. The mistake was almost compounded by Nunez doing his best to get sent off in the dying minutes of the half – a fate he avoided more through luck than design and we were almost to a man calling for him to be hooked at halftime.

As word came through that we were making three changes at halftime, I was astonished when I realised he wasn’t one of them but once more, Slot’s decision making was vindicated, as Darwin first scored and then won a penalty in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, making many of us who had been slating him minutes prior, look rather foolish in the process.

As I said on the thread last night however, I do feel we’re getting a bit of Karius syndrome with Nunez… – We’re so used to him stinking the place out that we’re getting WAY over excited when he does fairly standard things that any Liverpool player in his position should be able to do, never mind our record signing. I thought the reaction to his assist for Harvey in midweek was bordering on hyperbole. I mean yea, he did well in the moment but it was being made out to be some kind of special, world class CF play and it really wasn’t. I actually think he initially tried to nod it on but when that didn’t work, I take nothing at all away from what he did next, as he managed to hold off the defenders, bring the ball down really well and both spotted the run of Elliot and played the perfect pass that allowed Harvey to run onto it and hit it first time. Well done and take a bow Darwin but realistically, Giroud was doing that kind of thing week in, week out for most of his career and nobody was ever raving about. It also made people forget that moments earlier, we had a break on from a corner and he could’ve played a simple, straight through ball that would have put Trent I think it was, clean through on goal. Instead, he tried the switch to Salah and just hoofed it out for a throw in, nowhere near Salah or anyone else. To that end, as I said on the match thread, until he starts having moments like yesterday and PSG every 1-2 games instead of every 10-12, he’ll remain a flop in my book and his discipline and temperament make him a liability. There was no need for his level of frustration at going 1-0 down against the bottom of the table team, that we were always still likely to beat. That challenge was ridiculous and if he did that in Europe, there’s every chance he’d have seen red and against the likes of PSG, that would likely result in us exiting the competition.

In other areas, we were so poor first half. Trent was actually very good defensively and probably our best player in the back four first half, as the aforementioned brain fart from Van Dijk led to their goal and he and Konate weren’t looking solid. Tsimikas also badly struggled I thought. Poor defensively and offensively, he and Diaz weren’t on the same page at all.

In midfield, only Gravenberch could be remotely happy with his performance, as Szoboszlai would have been as well not playing and a few moments aside, Jones struggled badly as well. We had no control at all and left us toothless in attack, creating nothing of note.

The introduction of Mac Allister brought some much needed control to our game, while Harvey injected the energy and directness we’d been so lacking first half. Robbo has improved as the season has gone on I’ve felt, after a very poor start and Diaz immediately looked like a different player after the break, although you’d have to say we looked a completely different team all over the pitch.

If I had one criticism, it’s that I don’t know why we hadn’t rotated more from the start. Southampton couldn’t buy a win and are on course to take the unwanted mantle of worst Premier League side ever, from Derby County. I don’t see why Harvey couldn’t have started, especially after his midweek heroics and even Endo. We allowed Southampton to grow in confidence in much the same way we did in our last game against United -too much easy possession for them and allowing them success in the counterattack that gave them a little belief. Had Endo been back there just sniffing those counters out, their shattered confidence would likely have taken hold earlier than it did and a fresh, highly motivated Elliot with a point to prove, would surely have been a better option of that game than a shattered Szoboszlai.

Anyway, as we have so often this season we turned up second half and ran out comfortable winners in the end. A brace of penalties for Salah took him to third place in our all time goals scoring list and will stats wise, help paper over the cracks of his usual Ramadan timed slump in form.

As for McMOTM, I think there’s only one standout choice for the honour… – Ben Doak!

PSG arrive on Tuesday then and you’d hope the boys would have a point to prove, after being absolutely battered by the French champions last week, despite coming away with the win. The tie is far from over though, as PSG will be wounded from that result last week. It’s been a special season to be a Liverpool fan though and with the league all but sewn up, we can afford to focus on the CL next week and then our cup final next Sunday. Walk on!!