Liverpool (A) Post Match Thread.

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

either that or go down! like we have seen a million times with fullbacks they just wait for contact

Kolarov was king at doing that. How many free kicks did he get like that? Mind, we don't have anyone who can come up with a decent Serbian 'smile' this season when the ref is dithering whether to give it or not!

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Haven’t had a chance to watch the game again but aside from the mistakes that gifted Liverpool their goals I don’t recall them creating much themselves.

Ergo they are a dangerous team to a team like us if we are slightly off our game but they really are quite some distance from being a top side

This is exactly the game in a nutshell. There's no amount of preparation or training ground work that can legislate for refs not giving free kicks for blatant fouls, misplaced in the moment passes, or goalkeepers dropping a bollock!

 

[Cityfan]

I don't think Stones was faultless for the goal and could have cleared it earlier or positioned himself better , but I don't really agree with blaming it on his 'weakness' It wasn't a direct tussle for the ball with both players going together he was knocked from behind where your response depends on your state of balance at the time as much as any strength.

 

[shemnel]

That Firmino goal for me should not have stood. For risk of sounding like a sore loser, we conceded unfairly and suddenly the impetus of the entire game shifted, from us in the ascendancy to pure Liverpool pressure and skittishness from City. Liverpool did profit well, I admit.

Build up to Firmino goal;



for me there's a clear shoulder into De Bruyne from Oxlade-Chambermaid, his body jerks forward and all he had to do was flop to the floor, free kick given (not that the onus should be on De Bruyne, cheers ref!). Blow up, free kick, City eventually take lead :)

This clip is a bit of a horror show;



1. Walker is well positioned but Dinho appears to be pulling a train whilst getting over to try and cover
2. Stones makes the first of two odd decisions: he knows Firmino is there but ever so slightly - it's a fleeting instant - checks his tracking run and Firmino is stealing a march
3. Luckily Oxlade-Chambermaid plays a very average ball in the channel that looks like the centre half's all day long
4. Stones' 2nd weird decision: Stones moves towards the ball far far too early, nearly (but not totally) ruining the positional superiority he has over Firmino. Does he completely misread the ball? the speed? is he knackered?
5. No matter, Stones is still clearly between Firmino and ball.
6. A clear shove in the back from Firmino (at pace) on Stones.
7. Watch Danilo, Pep should have a word here: complete complacency that Stones has it sorted (yes it should have been but you always should be sure). He dawdles back, see danger, dawdles a tiny bit more while checking his marked man and then makes a final cursory effort.
8. Ederson's position is ok (keeper people?), the finish is exquisite.

There has been talk of Stones not being strong etc but in my view it's pure momentum. Due to Stones' fucked up run due to changing direction, and Firmino's strong sustained pace, one player (Firmino) has all the power while the other (Stones) has a body all over the shop in terms of balance.

This goal was a bit of a farce from our point of view, ref wise and player wise.

 

[blue by birth]

Well agree to disagree. He was weak and should've dealt with it imo.

Being eased off the ball is different from being barged in the back...it was a foul...if it was Kun in the area and somebody did that to him you would want a penalty.

 

[Blue Til Death]

All that matters is City will be the best team over 38 games, not 1 game, the rest as they say is History... !

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I think Stones is one of those players who needs 4/5 games to return to form after an injury and no doubt Peps team are coaching these skills back into him to improve his match concentration.

Like a decent car, needs fine tuning after a breakdown to get back to optimum performance - takes time. A cheaper car is easier to fix but is more likely to have a lesser optimum performance.

 

[mat]

Jebus....Our fans are over analyzing this more than Pep. Maybe we should follow his lead. Have 2 days off, forget about it as that game is over, and concentrate on beating the horse punchers.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Ric/Mods - are we getting a MOTM thread?

 

[Armaan]

Being eased off the ball is different from being barged in the back...it was a foul...if it was Kun in the area and somebody did that to him you would want a penalty.

It’s a clear foul. What pisses me off is these pundits saying it’s not a foul but I gurantee you if that happens anywhere else on the pitch and it doesn’t lead to a goal you’d get everyone in the world saying “foul”. Everyone wanted us to get beat that’s why all the pundits were saying “no foul have to be stronger”. Fucking bollocks it was straight in the back, Stones is a numpty for not going to the floor. If he did the foul would have been given.