1.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 10:14:25
Good article Seano. Hendo our best player again as you said, playing the best football of his career. Several players were off the pace as you say but I thought OX was decent 4 is harsh. He played some quality forward balls especially first half, 6 for me. Allison's kicking best this season so deserved 8. Agree on Salah so selfish, if Mane was in those spaces he would have passed to him. The World club trip really freshened up Firmino and he has got his confidence back, quality goal again.

Agreed on Minamino we can't really be critical, I don't think he should have come on so early. What does that say to Origi? Minamino looked a bit lost in truth but probably shouldn't have been put in that position.


2.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 10:22:52
I thought we played well and had we taken another chance or two we’d have been out of sight. Wolves are a really good side who use the entire pitch (a slow pitch btw) well. It’s always going to be difficult there. We clearly had a plan that was working and then we got a bit disjointed after Mane went off but then controlled the game again after Fabinho came on.

Other than Robbo having a shaky 10 mins vs Traore we did really well.

This team has so much character and the gears to overcome obstacles like no other i've seen.


3.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 10:40:35
Salah's unwillingness to pass in and around the box is becoming a major issue. It looked to me that frustration with him was part of the issue with Mane last night. His decision to shoot instead of laying on the Ox was criminal.


4.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 10:50:40
Good review Seano, I also agree with markp08, surely Origi was the one to replace Mane. It was an unnecessary baptism of fire for Minamino. That along with Fabinho being rusty when he came on and Traore causing Robertson untold problems made it an uncomfortable night. But we got there so full credit to them again. I thought a lot of players looked leggy which is understandable. I am assuming Klopp will rest all last night starters in FA cup, bar maybe Gomez. Dream season so far.


5.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 11:38:55
Salah is a great but frustrating player at times, he occupies several opposition players at once with his skill and directness, which then leaves our attackers free but then undoes his good work by not passing to them. Frustrating at times but he is quality and like most strikers he is selfish.
I would never criticize Minamino as he needs time and that was a tough game to be thrown into. Winning when you are nowhere near your best is what top teams do.


6.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 11:48:08
I know it may not be tactically the best approach but did anyone notice how hard Gini was pushing the press and the energy he had at the end of the match. Hendo epitomises and leads by example but Klopp has got all of them fighting to the last whistle. Brilliant to witness and a sign of how desperate they are to be successful.


7.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 13:03:03
Thanks for the write up!


8.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 13:12:47
I was another surprised that Minamino came on instead of Origi and agree that it doesn’t look good for him as he’s not exactly been getting much game time the last month or so. With regards to Mo he’s always been greedy and it’s a fine line for him. If he scores it’s forgotten about and if he doesn’t then the questions are raised. A prime example last night was For bobbys goal. At first I thought he was trying to do to much on the edge of the box with it and then it ends up in Bobbys path and he scores which then looks like What Mo did was magic. It’s a fine line but personally I wouldn’t want Mo to change at all.


9.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 15:00:47
@Mark08 - I like Ox, and really don't have any interest in deriding our players, I just thought he had a really poor game. He did play a few decent forward passes first half but that was the limit of his contribution. He wasn't really breaking up or tackling, his pressing was ineffective, he just didn't get involved in the game in any meaningful way. Being moved out to the left second half certainly didn't help him either but he was hardly pulling up trees in the centre. I like the lad and hope he can rediscover his pre-injury form but, at the moment, it just isn't happening for him.

i personally had no issue with Minamino coming on as he has been bought, in part, as back up to the front 3, why not use him and see how he does. I thought he looked a little lost but that he handled the pressure realtively well - it's certainly a good baptism of fire for him and will go some way to helping him adjust to this league. Origi, I think, is best played down the middle, which makes it difficult to accommodate him when bobby is on the pitch as well - I assume that's why Minamino came on.


10.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 15:04:53
@Greenflash - I tend to disagree with that 'strikers are selfish' mantra as I think really top strikers, for the most part, know when it's better to pass and when taking on a shot makes more sense. Not many forwards would would take on a shot into a crowd of defenders when they had a teammate free, certainly not three times in the same match. Salah's greed is overshadowing the positivity he does bring - as someone commented we could've had a far more comfortable lead had he decided to pass to team mates who are open. He needs to see the bigger picture, that it isn't all about him, and that ultimately what benefits the team is more important that personal glory. Mane is a shining example of this, in both his offensive play and his tracking back.


11.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 15:13:19
I know Gomez pretty much always looks the better of our centre halves, you have to remember that is was his side that Traore was attacking most of the game and that lad had an outstanding performance.

If he can do that consistently, he's going to be one hell of a player.


12.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 18:32:06
The ox was poor. He may have played some decent forward balls but he also played some really bad ones.

Salah got slated at the start of the season for not passing and he seemed to change tact, and we became much better. Seems the utd goal has blown his head up again. I hope klopp and Henderson have a word with him coz an in form salah who makes the right choices is a massive asset.


13.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 18:41:58
Nah, traore was attacking down our left mostly. Mot the right.


14.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 18:54:21
Seano, I never said all strikers, but I agree with everything you said about Salah, him taking wild shots surrounded by the opposition when Firminho or anyone else is unmarked, is so frustrating as he seems to want all the glory when it is about the team.
Had we drawn or even lost to Wolves, Salah would have taken a lot of criticizm. Yet on another day he plays for the team. A great player but I don't understand his thinking sometimes.


15.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 19:17:11
I think the idea on taki coming on instead of big divock was theoretically the best idea so he could cover Robertson better (faster) tracking back than origi he has not built a rapor or understanding with the team yet he doesn't know where he fits in I expect him to improve massively over the coming months but he got a taste of the prem last night let's hope it makes him hungry for more.


16.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 19:56:18
I can't remember the last time Henderson had a bad game.


17.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 20:06:27
For that game, Minamino coming on made perfect sense. If Milner was fit I'd say he would have come on for Mane.


18.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 20:29:21
I thought the turning point in the second half was when Fabinho came on. He's rusty, but he certainly seemed to settle things down in the midfield.

I also thought Gomez was excellent.

A question for those who might know, there was concern over how greedy Salah seemed. I'm just curious as to if he's encouraged to be by the coached. I liken it to shooters in basketball. The coaches tell them to be greedy at times. I'm just curious if there is any of that here given his goal record.


19.) 24 Jan 2020
24 Jan 2020 21:23:16
It's worth having z go dbav, but when you see a team mate in space on the edge of the 6 yard box, you have to pass.

Bobby stopped passing so much to salah early in the season when he was being greedy, then mane wins African player of the year. Bobby's the key and our best attacking player.


20.) 25 Jan 2020
25 Jan 2020 01:48:45
Mino comes on and we can switch to 442 in defence and 433 in attack. With origi it's just 433.it was the right shout.


21.) 25 Jan 2020
25 Jan 2020 02:55:02
Fair enough Robbie. Can't say I disagree with you at all.