LFC 22/23 – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly – Gameweek #20
Form on the floor, we’ve been here before. Top four hopes truly slain, losing in the cup again. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Another week reviewed at Liverpool Football Club.
The Good
Liverpool are getting found out. Their lack of transfer action in the summer, as highlighted by club legend Jamie Carragher has come back to haunt them.
What’s Good about that? You may well ask. Well, it’s better recognised now rather than when it really is too late. We still have 19 games left to go. That’s 57 points. There’s still a lot to play for.
However, I see a pattern here that seems to have escaped many. When Liverpool won the league in 2020, we all expected them to push on and dominate. Much like they have done in years gone by. Sadly it wasn’t to be.
If I remember correctly, it was only a late undefeated run in the 2020/21 season that managed to secure them Champions League qualification. In the 2021/22 season, they recovered to challenge. The team won a cup double and were close to an historic quadruple.
Now in the 2022/23 season, again following one of relative success, the great expectation has become a burden. As in 20/21, injuries have blighted the team, in addition to a lack of form to key players. I don’t believe this is a coincidence.
The drought we see now is likely due to more mental and emotional fatigue rather than physical. Mo Salah can’t hit a barn door and Trent Alexander-Arnold can’t cross to save his life. This all points to one thing, for me.
According to club sources, Jurgen #Klopp to hold emergency team meeting on Sunday afternoon. The manager has lost his patience with certain #lfc players.
Senior team members have been warned to brace themselves.
Who is to blame for Liverpools poor performances this season? pic.twitter.com/y0WCpLEfH0
— BritAsia TV (@BritAsiaTV) February 5, 2023
Next season, if the pattern continues, then we can expect a much better return. Let’s live in hope.
The Bad
Out of the domestic cups. Liverpool lost their last remaining chance of silverware this season, when they crashed out of the FA Cup, 2-1 to Brighton and Have Albion.
Another limp showing from the team put paid to any hopes they had of defending their domestic double.
In all honesty, Liverpool played a bit better in this game but still got nowt in return. Despite going ahead from a Harvey Elliott goal late in the first half, the porous defence was unable to hold on and conceded nine minutes later.
“We need to get the confidence back, it’s easier said than done”
The impressive Kaoru Mitoma – who had turned Trent Alexander-Arnold inside out continuously the whole the game, scored in injury time to secure the win. And Liverpools continuing humiliation.
FT: Brighton 2-1 Liverpool
🔵 Brighton progress to the fifth round thanks to a bit of magic from Kaoru Mitoma. What a season they’re having 👏
🔴 Liverpool crash out of the FA Cup as their rotten form continues 📉#EmiratesFACup | #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/BcqXTwuj0d
— FUN88 (@fun88eng) January 29, 2023
“We need to get the confidence back, it’s easier said than done” bemoaned Andy Robertson after the game. Going on to point out “We have to improve, body language, a couple of boys have to do much better,” Hear, hear… absolutely spot on. Currently this Liverpool team is more a National Express Coach with the amount of passengers it’s carrying.
The Ugly
Losing to 3-0 Wolves was the latest kick in the teeth for a team clearly devoid of anything resembling confidence. It’s just ironic that reported Liverpool target Ruben Neves scored the last goal.
An absolutely abject display from Liverpool in this game. Only youngster Stefan Bajcetic was worth a mention. If Jürgen Klopp is hoping to pair the young Spaniard up with Tyler Morton next season, that may well save the club a few quid. Especially when you consider the expensive imitations the club currently has on the books.
FT: Wolves 3-0 Liverpool #WOLLIV #LFC
Utterly woeful. Feel so sorry for our supporters there today. Serious questions now about what is going on, why the players aren't performing. For a team to drop off a cliff like this it's like they don' t want to play for the Manager? pic.twitter.com/dW0LeBmZWA— 𝗞𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗹⚽️🔴 (@KoptasticNeil) February 4, 2023
The whole situation is becoming worse by the week for Klopp and his men. Questions are beginning to be asked as to whether he still had the faith of the players. On this display you can only reach one conclusion.
There are a number of players who need to stand up though. The boss can’t shoulder all of the blame. Joel Matip, Naby Keita, Mo Salah and of course Thiago. The Spaniard had simply been a pedestrian in this team.
Of course he’s a decent player. But a Liverpool player? A replacement for Gini Wijnaldum who could play 50 games as season at a high level without getting injured? Frankly no.
An opinion I had when Thiago joined and I still have today. I don’t see how he has improved the team at all since his arrival.
Keita, Matip and Salah have all been very poor this season.
Anyway, enough already. We’ve only got the derby coming up on Monday…
YNWA
