Liverpool Vs Sheffield United

Final Score: 2-1

Goals: Firmino (41′) Jota (64″)

24th of October 2020

Going level with leaders Everton, albeit having played a game extra, the Reds established a more familiar look at the top of the table following their 2-1 victory against Sheffield United last night.

The Blades pushed the champions and Chris Wilder will be disappointed, that his team left empty-handed after a brave stoic performance.

But, for me it said everything about the resilience of Liverpool, after a real Saturday fright night, we remain unbeaten at home in the Premier League for more than three years- a run of 62 matches.

The Red’s came from a goal down, overcame their notable absentees, and ensured a very contentious decision, wasn’t going to dominant the headlines again for a consecutive weekend.

A debatable early penalty was answered by Firmino who followed up a Mane header, that the keeper could only parry to score an easy tap in. Then Joto netted in, a well placed header in the 2nd half from a superbly placed Mane cross. In between times, Salah scored only to have the goal ruled out correctly for offside and the Egyptian hit the post after dancing through the defence.

VAR Again!

Yes, VAR is still featuring in games but for all the wrong reasons! Fabinho was adjudged to have fouled the Blades striker Oli McBurnie, but on replay, the Brazilian clearly and cleanly won the ball. Mike Dean initially awarded a free-kick, but VAR referral identified “a clear and obvious error” and changed the decision to a penalty. A belated and confusing VAR explanation cited that they had “checked the placement of the contact”, accepting the actual foul wasn’t in the penalty box……… these explanations are becoming more bizarre than the decisions.

But in all seriousness VAR, is becoming the headline each week and every match is being underlined with controversy. Players, fans and managers seem to have to delay any celebration, and it’s definitely taking an element of the game away. With so many cameras, afforded to the officials, they seem to arrive at conclusions that leaves everyone totally bemused.

Jurgen Klopp reiterated his frustrations by stating, in his post-match interview. “There was no foul, it is now game number six and in three of them we are at the wrong end of these decisions. We don’t want an advantage, we just do not want a disadvantage.”

As the Liverpool manager alluded to, every football fan wants their team to win games fairly but VAR is raising serious doubts over this. It is not the technology that’s the issue, but unfortunately it’s the people using it. Fans, want consistency, and not this insistence of letting incomprehensible decisions ruin the game. We want officials to employ a rational approach not one that defies logic and the rules of the game .

Jota Starts

Klopp made a couple of surprise decisions in his line up, one was the inclusion of Jota for his first Premier League start. A switch to 4-2-3-1 hadn’t been expected given the injuries.

Not since Phillip Coutinho roamed behind Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have Liverpool looked so bold, but yet the line up created an imbalance.

Out on the right, he was more in the way, than a useful component for the team. He was taking space away from Trent who wanted to stand high rather than being a narrow-link player.

Jota’s best moments earlier on came when he was countering or when he swapped out to the left-wing. Later on, as we dominated possession, and the Blades tired, he proved adept and able to beat players one-on-one. On 64 minutes, his efforts paid off, when Mane drifted down the left and produced a lovely curling cross that arced into Jota’s path to head in.

 Liverpool’s Front Three 

As Reds fan, we can probably tell within around 15 minutes of kick-off how the game is going to play out in terms of our attack.

Sometimes we are electric, not just in terms of pace but in moving the ball, exchanging the passes in the final third, showing the off-the-ball movement which has been a hallmark of the front three and which teams struggle to cope with.

Sometimes we have to be honest, it’s…none of the above.

Against the Blades, it was the latter, the type of game where Liverpool had to work hard to find spaces, earn the chance to create openings and almost play themselves into form because there’s no movement and pace early on.

The first half was pretty much a static line of four up front, which made it easy for the Blades to see off our build-up play, but from about 55 minutes onwards it was much better – and, inevitably, the away side eventually struggled under the grinding pressure to cope.

At The Back!

There has been much talk in recent weeks over Liverpool’s defence, and it’s hard not to write a match report, without this being a talking point. Bereft of Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool were aggressive and determined against Ajax, the Reds weren’t always the most refined but an away European clean sheet, is always an achievement.

Despite the early penalty, the makeshift backline showed commitment if slightly less cool and authoritative. We need to recognise that that despite the presence of Rhian Brewster the Blades will not be the most formidable attacking force in the Premier League and more work is required to address the number of goals conceded so far this year.

More interesting was Klopp’s switch to a double-pivot midfield; this didn’t give the platform of protection we might have expected, as the Hendo-Gini partnership didn’t work in tandem, their passing wasn’t great and the movement ahead of them wasn’t there early on to allow them a constant out-ball.

For me, more work ahead in that regard, but it’s good to see the tactical flexibility of the squad come into play.

Straight Back Into Europe!

Liverpool may have passed this character test, but there is no time to rest or ponder too much for Red’s fans on the game- as it’s straight back into Champions League action.

Danish side FC Midtjylland lie in wait on Tuesday evening and Liverpool will expect nothing less than six points from their two European games.

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