Liverpool Vs Atalanta

FT: 0-2

Goals: Illicic 60′, Gosens 64′

November 25th 2020

Well, I’m not sure if I have quite recovered from last night! Honestly, it left me speechless, for all the wrong reasons! I have to admit it has taken me the whole day to write this post; it’s that painful!

For me, it was the biggest disappointment of the season, even the Villa match didn’t leave me, with this overriding sense of doom. I’m not sure where to really start but put simply we lacked everything that represents Liverpool, the passing, the closing down, the pace, and the creativity.

The Reds definitely missed the full-back forces of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, who belatedly joined the fray with his team a goal down.

Klopp opted to switch it up for a visit of Gian Piero Gasperini’s men, making fives changes in total, bringing in Rhys and Necco Williams into the back alongside Joel Matip and Kostas Tsmikas at left-back.

The raft of changes was quickly evident and left our play disjointed and very error-strewn. The effect was to encourage a tentative opponent, to believe they could come away with something from Anfield.

The young elements of Nico Williams and Curtis Jones seemed out of their depth and conveyed a sense of panic when the ball arrived at their feet. Atalanta possesses some real quality in the likes of Gomez, and they could sense, the uncertainty as much as fans watching in horror from their homes could.

The lack of purpose-built throughout the first half and seeing Klopp dash down the tunnel at half time was the only hopeful moment of what was otherwise a lackluster first half.

As the second half began, it was apparent it would be a mirror image of the first, with the Reds repeating the same failed formula.

The activity on the bench, soon indicated that some of the biggest failures on the pitch would be put out of their misery.

However, the changes came after a well took but poorly defended Atalanta opening goal; a sequence of passes culminated in a cross towards the back-post, and the excellent Allisson was left exposed once too often allowed Ilicic to stroke the ball into the net.

Klopp responded with four substitutions, which included replacing Divock Origi, who was constantly being instructed by Klopp to “run”, as the Belgian failed to impress -again.

The Belgian frontman spent much of his time being muscled out of it by the Atalanta defence.

It’s a curious place Origi finds himself in at Anfield right now. The signings of Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino together with the re-emergence of Xherdan Shaqiri mean Origi is even less likely to feature this season.

The replacements for Liverpool hardly had time to settle themselves in, when the 2nd goal was conceded, and to be honest if we had played another 90 minutes; the momentum of the team was lost.

Klopp struck and disconsolate figure in an empty Anfield. As fans, we can expect in a season to suffer poor performances, but this was as poor as Sunday’s game against Leicester was good.

Klopp said straight after the game, ” We have to admit, it was a deserved defeat. It doesn’t sound nice, but was the truth.”

The wild celebrations from the Italian side at the full-time whistle showed just what this meant as the door to Group D was kept ajar by their famous win at Anfield.

If the 7-2 defeat at Villa, in October was something of a freakish anomaly, then this was as bad as it gets! It was that desperate.

We can’t question the need for using the squad but those in the squad need to understand that success has been achieved through hard work, concentration, and playing to a plan.

This defeat, while lamentable is not terminal. Liverpool still has control over Group D, even if the stranglehold was loosened on an evening to forget.

Last night reflected little or nothing of the team we have all come to appreciate and enjoy, lets hope a weekend trip to the seaside is the tonic we need to get things back on track.

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