Two steps forward, three steps back
Ok, these post match articles are getting harder to write. After some green shoots of recovery against Rangers, we were once again beset by the same old problems we’ve been seeing all season yesterday, most notably conceding an early first goal AGAIN!! That’s 10 times in our last 12 games and we took it to a new level yesterday, as it only took a measly 57 seconds to find ourselves behind.
We’ll start with the obvious – Trent. I’ve got loads of time for Trent and I really don’t want to stick the boot in when he’s down but what on earth has happened to him? It’s no secret that defending wasn’t the strongest part of his game but what we’re seeing from him at the moment is absolute schoolboy stuff, I couldn’t believe my eyes at times. It’s not just him though. Our entire defence was in absolute chaos every time Arsenal attacked, the panic in our box in the buildup to their penalty was like a Benny Hill sketch. The penalty itself was ridiculously soft but the sheer panic sweeping through our defence, you could tell something was about to happen.
We rallied first half however and having got ourselves back level, began to impose ourself on Arsenal and we were looking dangerous, only to be sucker punched on the counter in the dying seconds of the half. That can happen and we got back into the game again but the most alarming thing for me was our complete lack of energy in the second half. When they scored the third, we were done. I said on the thread at around the 85th minute mark that we were beaten already, you could see it. We didn’t have the energy or intensity left for a final charge and that’s just not something we’ve seen in the Klopp era.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some positives. Nunez (McMOTM) looks like he’s starting to settle, he’s a real handful up front and was making constant runs in behind, working the channel between CB’s and FB’s really well and causing Arsenal problems. I’ve mentioned before however, his game is still very raw. He was very naïve to Arsenal’s high line and offside trap at times and sometimes just seemed oblivious to the fact he was standing two yards offside. You can tell this kid hasn’t been getting top level coaching from a young age, which is why I don’t like the Haaland comparison – a player literally born into the professional game. I do believe Nunez will be a potent weapon for us moving forward however and I expect to see big developments in his game over the next couple of seasons.
Bobby took his goal well and it’s interesting to see him back amongst the goals in the final season of his contract. Salah on the other hand, having just signed his new monster contract, is an absolute pale imitation of the player we’ve become accustomed to watching.
It’s hard to pinpoint where it’s going so wrong. Everyone wants to apportion blame somewhere, we didn’t sign a midfielder, we’ve got an ageing squad etc and while there may be some merit to those arguments, I just can’t accept that the team has become old over the course of a month off in the summer and let’s say for the sake of argument that we’d managed to sign Tchouameni. He couldn’t have made things any worse but signing him wouldn’t have made any difference to the catastrophic loss of form we’ve seen from our tried and tested big hitters. Salah, Trent, Virgil, Fabinho and Hendo have been hopelessly out of form this season and the endless injury problems certainly aren’t helping.
What’s the issue then? Has Salah’s new contract disturbed some of our other big players? Have the likes of Virgil and Trent become too comfortable with a lack of competition for their place? Like I said, it’s really difficult to put your finger on the issue and in all honesty, I doubt it’s any one thing in isolation.
It’s a worrying time however. After 8 games, we’ve had our worst start since Hodgson was in charge a decade ago, we’re out the title race already, Salah is out of the golden boot race already and we’re behind TWO newly promoted teams in the table, one of whom we recently beat 9-0!! Doesn’t make for pleasant reading does it? Oh and it gets worse!! Diaz, one of the few shining lights of the season so far, left the stadium on crutches and is potentially facing an extended period on the sidelines. Trent also went off injured but assuming it’s just a twisted ankle, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the kid, to get a couple weeks out the limelight.
Where do we go from here then? We certainly looked more solid when Gomez came on and his added pace and physicality may help us in just trying to get through the first 20 minutes of games without conceding in the short term, Robbo will he fit again soon who doesn’t lack in energy, although Tsimikas has been one of the few players to come out the last few games with any credit. Curtis Jones is another who’s return is imminent and again, should help with the legs and energy levels but we’ve no idea what Curtis will show up as he’s struggled for consistency up to now in his career and has been out for a long time. Jota has also looked lively since his return and will be looking to make an impact in his favoured LW position in the coming weeks but it’s at the other end of the pitch that we really need to get a grip, which perhaps Konate will help with once he gets some match fitness under his belt.
At the end of the day, it’s all speculation. None of us know what is going on behind the scenes, or what is going through the players minds. The team and manager seem totally deflated at the moment though and it’s hard not to feel the same way.
Rangers next then and while the lower quality opposition is something of a bonus at this time, make no mistake, they will not be as passive as they were against us last week when playing in front of their own fans. Ibrox is not an easy ground to go to for a team under pressure and low on confidence.
Anyway, post match article has turned into another post match ranticle but I really didn’t expect any of us to be thinking after 8 games that it’s damage limitation time and that we’re in a real battle for top four. The City game next week is giving me the absolute fear as well and I’ll be surprised if Klopp persists with two in midfield for that one.
Anyway we all have our opinions on where it’s going wrong and I’m sure it will be dissected endlessly until such time as we find a bit of form once more. I just hope it doesn’t come too late for us to salvage this season. Until such time as that happens, all we can do is continue to support the team and manager as best we can and hope the tide turns sooner rather than later. Walk on!
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