I'm With Stupid
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6 May 2013
- Messages
- 18,839
Individually, you could make a case that the referee got any of the decisions right today. They were all the sort of 50/50 decisions that sometimes go for you and sometimes go against you. But when all of them go one way, you've got to question things.
Anyway, as for the football, frankly we lost because we weren't good enough in both areas. Our defending was abysmal at times, whereas Liverpool are now a really organised, solid unit. And our finishing and decision making around their box was nowhere near good enough. Pep's strategy of always playing the same way is what's made us as successful as we are, but it's clear that in some big games, our inability to adjust has cost us (he actually did it at Anfield last year and we ended up one kick away from winning the game). Obviously it doesn't help when the two players you don't have a world class replacement for is injured.
As for Liverpool, well they didn't look amazing, but then scored 3 really good goals, even if there were defensive mistakes in all of them. And that's been the story of their season in the games I've seen of them. Very solid at the back and then take their chances when they get them.
9 points isn't great, but it's not insurmountable. My worry since Laporte's injury has been our ability to actually capitalize on it if they do start to drop points. It's one thing to expect them to drop points at some point (every team does) but it's another to make sure you're there when they do. 9 points in November is usually seen as better than 9 points in January, but more often than not it's evidence that the gap is going to widen rather than the team having more time to catch up. Hopefully we can buck the trend.
Anyway, as for the football, frankly we lost because we weren't good enough in both areas. Our defending was abysmal at times, whereas Liverpool are now a really organised, solid unit. And our finishing and decision making around their box was nowhere near good enough. Pep's strategy of always playing the same way is what's made us as successful as we are, but it's clear that in some big games, our inability to adjust has cost us (he actually did it at Anfield last year and we ended up one kick away from winning the game). Obviously it doesn't help when the two players you don't have a world class replacement for is injured.
As for Liverpool, well they didn't look amazing, but then scored 3 really good goals, even if there were defensive mistakes in all of them. And that's been the story of their season in the games I've seen of them. Very solid at the back and then take their chances when they get them.
9 points isn't great, but it's not insurmountable. My worry since Laporte's injury has been our ability to actually capitalize on it if they do start to drop points. It's one thing to expect them to drop points at some point (every team does) but it's another to make sure you're there when they do. 9 points in November is usually seen as better than 9 points in January, but more often than not it's evidence that the gap is going to widen rather than the team having more time to catch up. Hopefully we can buck the trend.