Football News: Liverpool v Southampton Match Review - A Liverpool Perspective

Image from: newsexplored.co.uk

Liverpool v Southampton

A dire game, on a slow pitch, which compounded the issue of slow movement and slow passing. There was no atmosphere, no intensity to the play and no passion from virtually anyone. Southampton had a gameplan to stop Liverpool, one which Claude Puel has developed each time he faces Liverpool, leading to him never suffering a defeat. Sadly it made for a turgid affair, as he set out his stall to get a point and never wanted to take the risk to go for all three. However Puel is perfectly within his rights to do so, it is up to Jurgen Klopp to figure out how to break them open.

The worrying thing is the recent change from high press, to sitting deeper trying to play safe to avoid being hit on the break. It has left us looking sluggish and the matches are boring without that pressure on opponents forcing them into errors. It is making Liverpool rely on moments of great skill, rather than good team play, as it is stifling the players. They are clearly too worried about not conceding to play with freedom.

There was a return to the bad old days of watching Liverpool players strung out in a line across the 18 yard box with absolutely no movement while the ball goes from side to side across midfield. The players have no one to pick out with a pass, as everyone is just static and easily marked. When a ball is played through, as the player receiving it is stood still, there is a much larger risk of the defender getting to it, as the attacker is not already on the move in anticipation of the ball coming.

Mignolet - had a deckchair out and a good book I think. Had barely anything to do.

Clyne - normally you can tell a player is facing a former club, they are fired up, playing with a noticeable extra bit of desire. Normally. I saw nothing to suggest Clyne had even noticed who he was playing. I have had enough of saying how much he slows down the play by receiving the ball and just stopping and playing it back when he gets a good chance to cross. This game shows why he mostly plays it back, the lad simply has no idea how to put a ball into the box for a forward to attack. This is not to excuse the lack of movement in there for him to pick out, but he needs to learn how to hit the ball with a bit of whip. Also when to play it along the ground and when to lift it.

Matip - another one with little to do, but he did not defend particularly well when called upon. Too weak. On the ball he showed some good moments, but it just was not enough. Every time he received the ball he could have taken it forward, so he should do, until the moment they stop allowing him the room to do so. When that happens he has created space somewhere else that can be exploited. There is a lack of leadership, everyone just wants to pass it on to someone else to take the chance.

Lovren - not a bad game, but he also had little to do.

Milner - putting aside the penalty miss, and it is a miss when it is saved, as the advantage is with the attacker in those instances. The attitude is what worries me, not whether he bottled anything or not, but the way he just cowered, worse that none of his team mates stepped in. Someone should have stepped in when they were seeing what was happening, where were they? Also, why did no one go and take the ball from him? You could see he was intimidated, so why not step in? If he steps up and argues, it at least snaps him out of the fear that was clear in his whole stance. If he does not argue, then it shows he should not have been taking it. However, leaving him to face it on his own like that was a disgrace by his 'team' mates. Every single one of them should be ashamed of themselves. As for his performance, it was the usual cut back on the right every time he got in a good position to whip it in with his left. It just does not work. Use your left James!

Can - non-existent, spent the game far too deep and did not make enough forward runs. Spent his time protecting against a break that was never coming. No movement ahead of him to pass to either, so he was never going to be able to do anything.

Lucas - like Can he was busy protecting against a break. Also like Can he had no movement ahead of him to pass to.

Wijnaldum - offered nothing. Really disappointing as he was not making late runs or movement to drag defenders about. He had very little effect on the play at all.

Firmino - for large periods of the game, he was the only player doing anything. He was pressing and no one else was bothering. Other than that, he was very disappointing. At least he tried to give them problems, most of the rest of the team seemed too scared to try anything.

Origi - he needs to work on his movement and his strength. He has the pace to trouble defences, but he lacks intelligent movement, so it is largely getting wasted at the moment. That will hopefully come in time. If he is going to stand up and be a target man to hit, then he needs more strength, so he can bully defenders, instead of being bullied. The technique is there, he can finish, he just needs to work on the little bits and pieces that turn a player from a potential player into an actual player.

Coutinho - played too deep, dropping off to take the ball and look to create. That is not a problem if others are moving ahead of him, but no one was, so it just meant he was picking up the ball in places he could not hurt the Saints.

Subs:
Lallana - replaced Lucas in the 69th minute. Raised the intensity and energy levels. Also added a bit of movement. However it was not enough.
Sturridge - also came on in the 69th minute, to replace Origi. Offered more movement and threat to the attack. Again it was just not enough.
Grujic - came on in the 87th minute in place of Wijnaldum and offered more in his few minutes on the pitch than Wijnaldum had in the rest of the game. Came closest to scoring from open play with a header. Made forward runs and created a problem. The question is why did he come on so late?

Written by Tris Burke May 09 2017 18:07:53