Liverpool FC – Game Week 24 Review

Out of the cups and no sign of the ups. The continuing poor form, begs the question: is this now the norm? The good, the bad and the bloody awful at the world’s favourite football club. Liverpool FC.  

The Good

In any walk of life, it’s important to keep things in perspective. Yes, Liverpool have become a rubbish team. At least since the turn of the year anyway. But what does that mean? For me and in the grand scheme of things Premier League. Not that much. Despite the early season form, was anyone really expecting Jürgen Klopp’s team to win the league?

Frankly no. And, at the start of the season, did anyone ever think the team would be occupying fourth place and in contention. OK, perhaps not to win the title, but in contention for one of the remaining positions worth talking about. Again, the answer is – hands on heart – no. Especially as this is Klopp’s first full season. So what’s the fuss all about?

The Reds still occupy a place that 15 other teams in the league would love to have. This is fact. Things haven’t been that great, for sure but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.

The Bad

I don’t want to get on the manager’s case but I don’t understand his tesm selection yesterday. As far as I was aware, Georginio Wijnaldum was fit to play yesterday. As far as I was aware, he scored the goal that spared our blushes against Chelsea. And, as far as recent form goes, you’d have thought he would have started ahead of Emre Can.

It’s clear the team was missing Sadie Mané so someone had to make way for him yesterday, but surey Wijnaldum’s three assists this season would have made him a better bet compared to Can’s single assist. Both have three goals. Especially as the side has struggled for goals recently. Instead, the Dutchman stayed on the bench. An unused substitute. Very strange.

In addition, we have Mamadou Sakho spending the rest of the season on loan at Crystal Palace when he’s clearly needed to shore up the leaking defence. A central pairing of Joel Matip and Lucas Leiva… or Ragnar Klavan… or Dejan Lovren is not going to win you anything. For all Sakho’s misdemeanors, I doubt he’s done anything so bad that the team will try their luck with three inferior players as replacement.

Yes, the manager needs to make a stand but let’s face it. The club has had one particular player that bit an opponent on more than one occasion and received better support. Something here doesn’t smell right.

The Bloody Awful

Need I say more than: recent performances? Yes, I do. I don’t believe any Liverpool fan could express their view  on the current form in two words. Simply poor, could do – but no. The result against Chelsea did little to shift my view. Liverpool’s record against the “top” teams is never in question. It’s their record against the likes of Hull City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Swansea. Let alone Southampton… twice! The latter is a decent side to be fair, but still, these are all teams Liverpool should be beating. Maybe not four or five-nil, but win nonetheless.

For me, it’s the way the Liverpool have lost. Yesterday, whilst chasing a game they’d already thrown away through rediculously stupid defending, they concede a last minute sucker-punch. The amount of times this has happened beggars belief. The games against Sunderland and Swansea are notable examples.

The team has not remotely even looked like winning any of the games so far in 2017 and Klopp has his work cut out with this lot. Fact is, at this rate Liverpool will do well to finish in the top five. There really is, in my opinion no room for more of these calamitous performances.

Next up is Tottenham at home and Leicester City away. Two massive games which will set the tone for the remainder of the season. Should the team finish in the European places then Klopp needs to spend, and big. No more of this “one for the future” nonsense. The future is now. The players need to be ready now.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheLFCFile