bookd.
Liverpool0 - 0Fulham
Sometimes a player has a match so bad you laugh at them. David Luiz comes to mind a lot. But sometimes a player has a match so bad you genuinely want to hug them and help them look for a new career. When Ryan Gravenberch came off today, I felt so sorry for him that I couldn’t even get angry at him. How a professional footballer missed that many short passes and got his position wrong that much was really frightening to see. His confidence is shot, and apart from a January move, Iraola should only use him for a Carabao Cup games. Wirtz, though. He wasn’t depression-inducing-bad, just regular bad, so I can be mad at him. He has until December to improve, or I’m shipping him off too. You can’t be wearing the #7 for this club and go missing like that. He kicks like he’s scared of the ball, and he hides behind Kerkez and Szoboszlai when he faces duels. Isak was not much better, but he touched the ball, so there’s that. Yet again, Dom was somehow our worst and best player. But at least he’s actually trying things, unlike Wirtz. Everyone else was meh, but VVD always does my head in with the nonchalant gimmick after a big game. Mate, it was Atletico in the group stage. You’re not prime Baresi to be able to stroll at 0-0 like that. For what it’s worth, Fulham played very well. Arbeloa clearly knew it was do or die, and gave up on his principles to revert to what Liverpool struggle most with: deep blocks. The only slight I’ll give to Iraola, because he can’t be blamed for his players being stupid divas, were his subs and handling of a deep block. You have to be more creative than crossing, and we were too open at the end because he took out all the height. Without Araujo and Barcola, we were left to be manhandled by Fulham. He will have to learn quickly how to best beat a low-block, and to bench the stars when they don’t shine. To sub off Barcola and Muñoz but keep on Isak and Wirtz when it was clear they weren’t at it, was absurd. Spurs next.
LiverpoolLiverpool2 - 1Atletico Madrid
Davide Massa (born 15 July 1981) is an Italian football referee who officiates in Serie A. He has been a FIFA referee since 2014, and is ranked as a UEFA elite category referee. He is by far one of the worst referees I have ever seen officiate a match. He absolutely fell for Atletico’s and Simeone’s favorite dark arts bits, and he ignored a clear back pass from us. It is no wonder Italian football has fallen off so much when referees like these are the standard. I thought we weren’t good, yet we still deserved to win. Iraola experienced his first comeback win, and I have full faith in him as a manager. I was really impressed with how he set us up after we took the lead, it looked far better than anything under Slot. For the nostalgia merchants, KLOPP won most of our Anfield games like this. Sit back deep and counterattack while pressing like dogs. I thought VVD and Jacquet were excellent, and Kerkez was not as bad as the brain-rotted trolls claim. Our LWs always help our LBs defend, and I think Rio let us down in that regard. Szobo looks better, especially in how he connects with Wirtz. Muñoz looked like he had on the wrong boots when he came on. Gravenberch won us time by getting fouled, but he’ll need to be sold in the summer. Barcola looks like a player who hasn’t played since July, but his base looks promising. I was not surprised by that miss at all, he’s a player who takes 10 shots and misses 8. Frimpong doesn’t look half bad as a winger, but we’ll need Gomez back. Atleti have to be a social experiment by the way. How anyone can follow that team has to be a test of character. I hope we never see them again, and I can’t wait for United to face them. And to any United and Arsenal fans clowning Barcola, have fun with your unsigned Vinis and washed Rashfords.
Liverpool