20 Dec 2016 08:50:54
So we can't grind out games? We can't win ugly? We can't rise to the occasion when things are not going our way? I think we settled these questions very clearly last night.

Some observations: Is it me or does Lovren play far far better on the right side? I'm aware he's a righty and it's natural, but the difference is noticeable. Klavan had a good game, but I would temper that with the fact that Everton hardly posed any threat aside from Lukako's hulking runs into nowhere. And Clyne and Milner were industrious as usual. (It's just really quiet on here about our defense. Where are the guys who slate our defense almost daily? Hypocrites. Where's the "we need 3-4 goals to win because we'll always concede" guy? ) .

Sturridge was MOTM for me. Sure, Mane was buzzing and a threat all night long. And Origi worked hard too. But true champions decide games by themselves. Whether it's with only 1 or 90 minutes on the field. This is what Sturridge is all about. A really frustrating player (from a fan's point of view), but the man can decide outcomes and which other players can't, no matter how hard they try. And my take on the Henderson/ Barkley debate is that it's a clear no contest. Henderson showed real leadership during and after the game. Barkley simply showed he's a loser and a thug. Devoid of any class, whatsoever. And that was clearly a red. I'd also like to say that while I had tremendous respect for him as a player, Koeman is showing what a whining weasel he is as a manager. Complaining that Lovren should have gotten a yellow (and consequently a red) because Coleman got one also, is pure, spineless fantasy. Lovren was already backtracking after the first push, while Coleman was running around looking for other players to confront once he saw Lovren was not going to bite at the bait. It's a common tactic to deflect your own team's deficiencies by bringing in the referee. And we saw the big gulf in class between Klopp and Koeman in the post match comments. Klopp simply said "have a look and judge yourself if that was a red". Koeman did his smiling weasel act.

1.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 09:21:06
True champions might decide games by themselves but Man Of The Match awards are earned by the best performers over 90 mins. Klaven or Wijnaldum for me.
Nice productive cameo by Sturridge though.

2.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 09:44:07
Little premature to say last night proved anything, it was just one game. Having said that it was the sort of match that most champions have once or twice a season, we didn't really deserve to win but we took the three points.

The Sturridge thing I'm on the fence for, he had the telling contribution to us winning the match but it involved a huge slice of luck and he was very rusty the rest of the time.

Delighted with the result, the less said about the performance the better.

3.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 10:10:09
Some of what you say is a bit off the mark my friend, in my opinion.
We haven't proven we can "grind out results" just by nicking an injury-time winner against a very mediocre Everton and how on earth was Sicknote Sturridge M. O. M.?
Also, t hose critics who say we need to score X because we'll concede Y are generally alluding to a widely accepted principal that our defence is our potential downfall.
You surely can't deny that, without Matip, Gomez, Sakho and a specialist LB we lack a quality and presence that our makeshift defenders have been mostly getting away with so far but . well, square pegs!
If we lose Sakho (probably) I'll be disappointed and frustrated because he's a class CB. I like Klavan as a steady defender when we don't have to defend too much and Milner likewise. Both are great when we're attacking but our defensive frailties are down to square pegs in round holes! And don't get me started on goalkeepers!

4.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 10:20:02
although its true everton hardly were a threat, i must say we have struggled in the recent years with strikers of lukaku's mould; big, strong strikers. so it was good to see Klavan managing him very well. Lukaku hardly troubled Klavan, he was excellent on the night.

5.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 11:09:25
Found it difficult to understand how both Barkley and Coleman stayed on the pitch last night. Great strength shown by the team to withstand the roughhouse assault they were under, particularly in the first half. A very good win.

6.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 11:15:45
While i don't agree Sturridge was man of the match the rest is 100% correct. I don't know what game you were watching Annie Fields.

7.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 12:37:45
Anfield Pete - I can see where you are coming from. I wrote that post from a very pragmatic and practical point of view. While I agree they were mediocre, at some point you have to factor in that they're a perennial mid-table team that can't be taken lightly. We've lost to teams much lower in the standings, and that still has to count for something. I agree that we're a better team with Matip and Sakho (even though I think you are a little premature with placing laurels on Gomez - he hasn't played a single senior game yet as a CB) . And as far as the Sturridge comment is concerned, my perspective is that I have seen so many of the "world class" stars just coast along in a game, adding very little, and then in one moment, come up with one spectacular move or kick, which basically turns the tide and decides the game - not saying Sturridge is world class. This is what I was referring to. We definitely have harder working players than Sturridge. If MOTM was applicable only to the hardest working players in a game, then keepers would never qualify. De Gea, for example, routinely turns games around with one or several decisive moments, and yet he is not the hardest working player on the pitch.

8.) 20 Dec 2016
20 Dec 2016 16:36:20
I really liked what I have seen from Klaven recently, for me when Matip is fit he should play alongside him, see how he gets on.