Will the real LFC please stand up
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
Nothing epitomises our Jeckyll and Hyde season like our last two results, or in fact our two respective results against Bournemouth this season. How you can beat United 7-0 one week and then lose 1-0 to Bournemouth the next – a team we beat 9-0 in the reverse fixture, I’ll never know.
Actually I lie. I do know – attitude. It pains me to say it and we’d never have thought this accusation could be levelled at this team but when you beat City twice, beat Spurs, destroy United, do the double over high flying Newcastle, yet three times this season we’ve lost to the team at the bottom of the league, there is no other explanation apart from attitude and application.
Trent actually admitted at the end of the game that Bournemouth wanted it more. A damning indictment of the team, considering we had the chance to move into the top four, amazingly for the first time this season. If personal and professional pride weren’t enough to motivate the team, then that should have been.
Onto the game itself, too many times this season have we seen a promising opening 20 minutes fizzle out when we haven’t scored in that time? We should have scored though. Virgil simply HAS to score one of those headers. Fair enough the one cleared off the line was a little unlucky but the second one looked an absolute formality to nod it home from only about two yards out.
Speaking of Virgil, I’d love to hear an explanation from him on exactly what he was thinking in the build up to their goal, where he literally just stops, allows the Bournemouth player to run another couple of yards before delivering his cross unimpeded and goal. It was absolutely criminal defending, as poor as it was inexplicable. Typically Trent wasn’t in the right position to block the runner either and had almost gifted them a goal earlier in the game with another of those blind, square passes across the centre of the pitch that sent them clean through. Sloppiness that we’ve become only too accustomed to this season.
After that we huffed and puffed without really creating many clear chances. Jota forced their keeper into a decent save and then Salah’s penalty – one for the Christmas bloopers video but apart from that, Bournemouth defended reasonably comfortably, although their job becomes much easier when we’re happy to just pass it sideways amongst the back four, even 3 minutes into stoppage time.
I’ve run out of things to say about this season. Every time you think we’ve turned a corner, we produce another one of these dismal displays and more often than not, we end up questioning the attitude and performances of what should be our stalwarts (along with being our top earners) in Trent, Virgil and Salah.
Why Salah plays the full 90 every week, regardless of how poor he is, I really don’t know and Nunez must be wondering if he’ll ever get to play 90 minutes for the team. He didn’t look happy when subbed yesterday but I think I’d be getting frustrated with it myself if I was him.
Next up we have the daunting task of a trip to the Bernebeu, chasing a three goal deficit. I must admit I’m fearful of complete humiliation in that game but who knows what version of Liverpool will turn up. After that, Fulham’s scheduled trip to Anfield the following Saturday has been postponed, due to the Cottagers continued involvement in the FA cup and then I believe there’s an international break.
That break should be enough time for us to see the return of Diaz and Thiago. We need to temper our expectations on Diaz after such a long time out and I suspect it will be next season before we see the best out of the Colombian but Thiago’s return will be welcome, seeing as he seems to be the only one of our midfielders who knows how to pass the ball forward.
Another incredibly frustrating game in an incredibly frustrating season then. The same old two steps forward, one step back and a bewildered looking Klopp post match surely knows he has a major job on his hands over the summer. Recruitment must be spot on and if he needs to wield the axe with the current squad, then so be it.
On to Madrid then, with hope in our hearts but nerves in our guts. Walk on!
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