Norwich City FC 4-5 Liverpool – Post match reaction
Liverpool endured a roller coaster ride at Carrow Road this afternoon to take all three points against Norwich City. The hosts were 2-1 up at half time – despite falling behind to a Roberto Firmino goal. A mixture of comedic defending and luck saw the Reds fight back to win 4-5. Yes, that’s four goals to five. Adam Lallana’s winner – scored in the 95th minute.
Jürgen Klopp reverted to his familiar starting line up with Nathaniel Clyne, Kolo Touré, Mamadou Sakho and Alberto Moreno making up the back four. Ahead of them a three-man midfield of Emre Can, Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson supporting the front three of James Milner, Firmino and Jordan Ibe. This sorry lot served up probably one of the worst performances I’ve seen in recent times from this Liverpool side.
Yes, granted they won the game. That, I have to say, should be expected against an opponent of far lesser “quality”. In so doing, they threw away a 0-1 lead – taken after Firmino latched onto Milner’s through ball to bobble the ball past Declan Rudd. From then on, Liverpool were simply dreadful. Sakho tripping over his own feet allowing Dieumerci Mbokani Bezua to stab the ball home past Simon Mignolet.
Then, as half time approached, new Canaries’ signing Steven Naismith dispatched a textbook shot across goal to give the hosts the lead. As usual, the visiting defence totally static. Touré waking too late to eradicate the danger posed by the ex-Everton attacker. 2-1 and Liverpool yet again, undoing all of their early good work.
The second half didn’t get any better. Alberto Moreno brought Naismith down in the area on 54 minutes, a split second after a totally needless initial challenge which was probably a penalty already. Up stepped Wes Hoolahan to cutely slide the ball under Mignolet to make it 3-1. Shocking stuff. Sadly, stuff that looks all too familiar in this side. Liverpool were now up against it.
A minute later, Liverpool pulled one back. A display of even worse defending from Norwich, left Milner alone in the penalty area to sweep home past the woefully exposed Rudd. The visitors at last, seemed to become alive to the real possibility of falling still further behind in their purported race for fourth placed finish this season. Klopp also responded, withdrawing the ineffective Ibe and replaced him with Lallana.
Less than 10 minutes later, Liverpool were level. Firmino was in the area to meet Lucas’s centre to finish a move he started close to the half way line, and lift past the stranded ‘keeper. Absolutely terrible defending from the hosts and exactly why they lay 16th in the Premiership. 3-3 and the Reds could sense victory as they pushed forward. Indeed, it looked as if this would be the case shortly after.
Milner was alive to a dreadful back pass from Russell Martin and sprinted forward to intercept it. The ex-Manchester City man made no mistake with his one-on-one with Ruddy, slotting right footed under the local lad from Diss. 4-3. One would have thought this was the end of the proceedings for the day. Alas not with this Liverpool side. Those with a dodgy ticker would been forgiven for leaving at this point. A strange five minutes of stoppage time shown by the referee’s assistant. Cue chaos.
Sakho was caught flat footed by a virtually pitch-long, hit’n’hope effort from the hosts into Liverpool’s box in the 93rd minute. Only for the Frenchman to lose out to Cameron Jerome, allowing Sebastian Bassong to smash the lose ball and equaliser home through the crowd of red socks before him. 4-4 and Red hearts around the world sank. A joint, global “Not again”. Norwich had equalised and to be fair, thoroughly deservedly so.
With less than 10 seconds of the added time remaining, Can’s dangerous cross from the left was headed on by Benteke to Firmino, only for his shot to be blocked. In the ensuing ping-pong, the lose ball fell to Substitute Lallana who drilled a shot into the ground and bouncing past the stunned Rudd who simply slumped to the ground. Exasperated. Tired and sadly, beaten in the dying second – let alone seconds.
In the post match interview, Klopp paid tribute to Norwich, saying they were a “…Good side…” This may well be the case. However, the fact remains that Liverpool should be better than them. To come away with the points in this match is little more than luck. The team’s defending was simply the stuff of horrors. Wes Craven couldn’t have written better. I remain dumbfounded as to why both Touré and Sakho are starting when the team is conceding so many goals.
It’s clear Steven Caulker was bought in as back up. That’s an odd expression, “back up”. Surely, if your first choices aren’t performing, that’s what you have back up for, isn’t it? Why has the club brought the defender in, only for him to sit on the bench and come in when there’s virtually no time left to affect the match? It must be time he was given a start. Touré is 34 years-old. Surely he should be back up. I’m aware the Ivorian seems to have the team charmed as they’ve not lost when he starts but, at this rate we’ll have a Leprachaun in the side next.
Forget Alex Teixeira. A solid defender – who plays – is what the side needs right now.
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