My match thoughts.

[ghostrider]

I had a bit of hope before the game and that hope built up with that fantastic goal from Willems with a cracking right foot shot past Adrian.
I thought we did a decent job after that in defending the lead until Dubravka got unlucky with the take, which, in all fairness to him, cannoned over him after hitting what looked like his knee.

Their second goal was down to indecisiveness by us and Krafth not being able to go in on Mane who was on the run into the box, for fear of taking him down with the merest hint of a tap.
However you have to hand it to Mane for the class goal rather than us being totally at fault.

After the break I thought we changed it up a bit and had a go at them for a little bit, but to be fair to Liverpool they're just too strong all over the pitch and too clever. They are so well drilled they're almost telepathic at times.

Their third goal was well worked but would likely not have happened if Schar hadn't slipped and fell.
However, Liverpool absolutely deserved the points and 3-1 was an overall very fair result.

There were two times when we were in on goal and were not offside but the ref blew anyway, which frustrated me. I can't understand why the game can't be played on when it's as close as that and if a goal occurs they can look back at VAR like they do anyway. I'm nitpicking a little bit here but there really was positives from that game for us when you consider the opposition and playing away, as well.

We disrupted Liverpool's pattern and unsettled them for a while.
I thought Willems was very very good, especially first half but defensively decent all game and was my man of the match for us.
I also thought Hayden had a decent game, biting in and getting among it.
Krafth wasn't as bad as maybe some might make out. There's scope for him when you consider the short time he's had...and again considering the opposition today which are exceptional, not just very good.

Dubravka was decent throughout. No blame for their second. Ok, maybe a tad for the sake of it for being a tad too slow on the uptake. But again, that is also nitpicking.

Overall I thought we could've done better going forward but to do so you need to not give away cheap balls when you have the opportunity to go forward.
Atsu was as frustrating as he was decent. His attitude and running, plus making himself available for the ball was great but his ability to want to keep hold of it and basically try to go it alone can cause issues and did actually cost us our first goal.
If you need to learn anything you have to learn not to dwell then try to about turn with the ball when your playing a wolfpack like Liverpool midfield and strikers.

Our defence did well for most part and Dummett would've got my man of the match if it wasn't for that Willems goal on top of his performance.

I thought Almiron looked devoid of ideas but extremely willing to run at Liverpool and get among it. The problem with that is, when you're playing someone like Liverpool away it makes players like him look useless as it equally makes Joelinton look out of sorts mainly due to being isolated and feeding on scraps.

Shelvey needs to get up to speed and sooner rather than later.

A quarter enjoyable, a quarter hopeful and half being cringe-worthy is how I'll sum it up.


Onwards and upwards and all the hopefulness still to come.
A bit early to judge anything yet on the season, so I'll look forward to Brighton.

[TheOtherTerryMac]

Hoof Ball for most of the game no pattern and very little direction

Lascalles has to be one of the worst CB in the Premiership and Almeiron 15 starts no goals and no assists time to bench the pair of them

[Geordie1974]

Didn't watch any of it so cant comment.

[Zippity]

My thoughts on your thoughts...

We did a decent job for 20 minutes or so but you could just tell that Liverpool were biding their time. I agree their third might not have happened had Schar not slipped but you could also argue that it was their speed of thought, vision and lightning-quick movement which caused the slip because, in reality, he had no chance of getting it because they were so quick.

Dubravka is, rightly, our number one. I know what you mean about 'no blame' because, for me, there's a difference between 'fault' and 'blame'. Yes, he made an error and was at fault but, equally, he made a number of excellent stops which kept us in the game for a long time and the score down overall. Reading Bruce's post-match comments smacks of him throwing Dubravka under the bus, imo-he mentions it 3 times, ffs.

I don't think Shelvey will ever be up to speed. Sissoko rightly got a load of stick for being shite almost all of the time and putting in a performance once in a blue moon and Shelvey is no different.

I enjoyed our goal but, other than that, it was a fairly chastening experience to watch us not only be so thoroughly outclassed but for us to be so poor in possession.

[TheOtherTerryMac]

Didn't watch any of it so cant comment.

You didn’t miss much mate hoof ball without the Rafa flair

Almieron lost the ball in a position he shouldn’t have been in result goal

Lascalles tried to do something he can’t, play football out of defence result goal

Game over

Great little trick for our goal but that was the one and only highlight all defenders and midfielders were just kicking the ball upfield to a Liverpool player. Dreadful to watch and a relegation battle starts which ever way you try to dress up the away win to Spurs

[ghostrider]

My thoughts on your thoughts...

We did a decent job for 20 minutes or so but you could just tell that Liverpool were biding their time. I agree their third might not have happened had Schar not slipped but you could also argue that it was their speed of thought, vision and lightning-quick movement which caused the slip because, in reality, he had no chance of getting it because they were so quick.

Dubravka is, rightly, our number one. I know what you mean about 'no blame' because, for me, there's a difference between 'fault' and 'blame'. Yes, he made an error and was at fault but, equally, he made a number of excellent stops which kept us in the game for a long time and the score down overall. Reading Bruce's post-match comments smacks of him throwing Dubravka under the bus, imo-he mentions it 3 times, ffs.

I don't think Shelvey will ever be up to speed. Sissoko rightly got a load of stick for being shite almost all of the time and putting in a performance once in a blue moon and Shelvey is no different.

I enjoyed our goal but, other than that, it was a fairly chastening experience to watch us not only be so thoroughly outclassed but for us to be so poor in possession.

I can't really argue with any of that to be fair.

[TheOtherTerryMac]

My thoughts on your thoughts...

We did a decent job for 20 minutes or so but you could just tell that Liverpool were biding their time. I agree their third might not have happened had Schar not slipped but you could also argue that it was their speed of thought, vision and lightning-quick movement which caused the slip because, in reality, he had no chance of getting it because they were so quick.

Dubravka is, rightly, our number one. I know what you mean about 'no blame' because, for me, there's a difference between 'fault' and 'blame'. Yes, he made an error and was at fault but, equally, he made a number of excellent stops which kept us in the game for a long time and the score down overall. Reading Bruce's post-match comments smacks of him throwing Dubravka under the bus, imo-he mentions it 3 times, ffs.

I don't think Shelvey will ever be up to speed. Sissoko rightly got a load of stick for being shite almost all of the time and putting in a performance once in a blue moon and Shelvey is no different.

I enjoyed our goal but, other than that, it was a fairly chastening experience to watch us not only be so thoroughly outclassed but for us to be so poor in possession.

I don’t think you would ever hear Rafa blame an individual player for our defeat but Pancake Face mentioned Dubravka 3 times

Well Mr Bruce if it had not of been for our keeper it would have been a cricket score.