LFC 22/23 – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly – Gameweeks #5 & 6
A last gasp victory, sends fans into ecstasy. Derby furore and another draw. An unremarkable signing, team declining, so has transition caused the league position? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Another week reviewed at Liverpool Football Club.
The Good
The last-gasp 2-1 victory against Newcastle in midweek. Fábio Leandro Freitas Gouveia Carvalho, or just Fabio as we know him snuck in at the far post to smash home a late winner.
The hosts went into the break 0-1 down after conceding in the 38th minute. Liverpool equalised when Roberto Firmino slotted home with 20 minutes to go. Cue the typical response from visiting teams to Anfield. Time wasting, time wasting and a little more time wasting.
If ever there was a more infuriating tactic, I’ve yet to see it. Referee Andre Mariner duly added more time to the indicated six minutes extra. Then in the 98th minute the 20 year-old was on hand to put an end to Newcastles gamesmanship.
Liverpool left it very, VERY late! 😱@Oracle | #LIVNEW | @LFC pic.twitter.com/u49M1WhCFk
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2022
The only downside on the night was the injury sustained by captain Jordan Henderson. The 32 year-old will now be out for a while whilst the true extent of the injury is assessed.
The Bad
A draw in the Merseyside derby. The 0-0 final scoreline means Liverpool still have an outside chance of challenging this season. Had former Liverpool youth captain Conor Coady’s effort evaded the scrutiny of VAR, the headlines today would be very different indeed.
To be fair the result was more kind to Everton than Liverpool. Luis Diaz, Darwin Núñez and Roberto Firmino all struck the woodwork or were denied by the goalkeeping efforts of Jordan Pickford between the Blues’ sticks.
Liverpool’s Alisson also had to earn his crust making a crucial save when Virgil van Dijk deflected a wayward shot toward goal. Overall, Jürgen Klopp would have been the more disappointed of the two managers due to the fact that his’ keeper was by far the least busier of the two.
A stalemate at Goodison Park.#EVELIV pic.twitter.com/OIaVdDauxi
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 3, 2022
Overall, the Reds weren’t at their best which sadly, is a familiar tale this season. Injuries, poor form (see The Ugly below) and insufficient transfer activity are beginning to take their toll on the team.
The Ugly
The somewhat disappointing end to the transfer window for Liverpool. The loan signing of Arthur Melo from Juventus was way below the expectation of the club and fans alike as “preferred” targets went elsewhere.
“we were going for a midfielder but the midfielder decided to go to another club”
The stop-gap acquisition came after the club failed to land French international Aurelien Tchouameni according to The Athletic, a claim I totally refute. I doubt Liverpool would have spent the reported €100m (or £86m) after securing Núñez for a similar figure a couple of months earlier.
This despite Klopp saying “…we were going for a midfielder but the midfielder decided to go to another club, so that can happen” Liverpool, despite spending big on players like Núñez and van Dijk, this hasn’t happened twice in one window up to now. Especially without having a haymaker departure such as a Luis Suarez or a Philippe Coutinho.
By all accounts, Melo is a similar player to Thiago. This could be a good thing. However, reports suggest the Spaniard will return to training this week so there’s a very small chance that the Brazilian will feature, given Klopp’s habitual reluctance to upset the established group.
Arthur Melo transfer and why Liverpool's midfield plans changed twice in one summer
Inside #LFC's frantic final day via @ptgorsthttps://t.co/ElyV3QoX24
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) September 2, 2022
What this proves though is that the Liverpool team, or the nucleus of it at least (van Dijk, Jordan Henderson, Thiago, Mo Salah) are all ageing and this is clearly evident in their performances.
Salah was almost invisible yesterday. The fact that his name was missing from the 9-0 scoresheet against Bournemouth is a surprising one. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that Liverpool’s no. 11 has offer been a spectator this season.
The team is clearly in transition right now. The more experienced players being out has exposed the fact that the youngsters, whilst very capable, are likely a season away from the level required. With that in mind, it’s no wonder the team is struggling.
While You’re Here
The fourth and latest edition of the, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: 2nd – And The Cup Double, is now available on Amazon as an eBook (€5), paperback (€11.99) and on Apple Books (eBook €5).
Secure your copy now!
YNWA
