Neapolitan nightmare symptomatic of Reds “Sword of Damocles” season
Napoli 4 Liverpool 1, 7th September 2022
Napoli 4 Liverpool 1, 7th September 2022
Despite this evening’s pounding at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, I’ve always had a soft spot for the team in the pleasing pale blue and white kit. I am of the vintage that can both remember and appreciate the revolutionary Sunday TV show that first introduced live Serie A football to UK television screens over three decades ago, but my footballing love for the Argentinian genius who’s name adorns the Napoli stadium ensured an admiration going back into the mid 1980’s and my real formative football watching youth. I can still picture my old school and college friend Gareth in his (incredibly rare for the time) pale blue Napoli home shirt with “Mars” as their sponsor and even now I have a retro shirt of theirs from the same vintage and only because of the otherworldly genius that was Diego Armando Maradona.
This evening’s debacle and humiliating portent for a season I’ve already dubbed their “Sword of Damocles” season had nothing do with an Argentinian ghost from the past, nor a ground breaking television show from the 1990’s and nor does it take any shine away from a lifelong, if distant, admiration. What this evening did reinforce though was a season ahead constantly flirting and flitting between incredibly impressive football and a soul destroying defeat that will forever (and sadly more regularly than in recent memory) rock the foundations of the entire season. “PlayStation Football” will not be in such plentiful supply in the months ahead and you can point the finger of blame in a whole host of directions and you’ll no doubt hit someone or something that could be blamed. Injuries. Severe loss of form to key players not injured. The loss of Sadio Mane and (face facts Reds) the lack of a direct replacement. Some are asking for the removal of the Manager on Twitter, but that’s just indicative of that particular social media madhouse. Many are constantly screaming for the removal of the financiers and custodians of the club akin to the Reds north west rivals down the East Lancs Road at Manchester United, with both of these sections of support hilariously forgetting the vast outlay of transfer expenditure during the recent Summer break from both clubs.
The immediate after match interview with Jurgen Klopp showed a man in sporting pain and the singular word I noted from his three minute interview was “re-invent” and boy does he have an incredibly time restricted reinvention on his hands! Following the recent league draw with Everton and last gasp winner against Newcastle United I firstly posited that this season will be that of the sword of Damocles hanging precariously over every result as well as stating that he needed to evolve the team, and quickly. This evening he admitted he needed to re-invent the team and all whilst in the middle of a hectic Premier League season and Champions League campaign. A painful and bumpy footballing road lies ahead for my beloved Reds of Liverpool.
This evening’s heavy 4–1 defeat was very definitely in the mail and Napoli simply and ruthlessly delivered it. Following the triumph of defeating Manchester City in the Community Shield, the Reds smashed nine past a woeful and rudderless Bournemouth and sneaked an arguably undeserved last gasp win over Newcastle United. Two league draws and a bitter defeat at Manchester United bring the season up to date but do not overlook these three games in particular as in each one they didn’t start either of these games, giving the initiative over to their opponents whilst looking sluggish, out of sync, form and out of energetic endeavour. A bad defeat was coming.
I just didn’t imagine it looking this ugly.
Revisit the opening quarter of an hour alone this evening and you’ll see a flat footed and disjointed Reds defence split wide open in just 44 seconds from a simple lobbed forward pass from Giovanni Di Lorenzo. The impressively powerful and strong running Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen simply galloped past Joe Gomez as if he wasn’t there, rounded the onrushing Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker and from an acute angle, crashed his shot against the outside of the near post. Not a minute had passed and already the Reds goal frame was shaking and four minutes later they were a goal behind. The impressive midfield trio of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Piotr Zielinski and Matteo Politano all conspired in a free flowing move that ended with Politano’s shot inexplicably handled in the penalty area by stand in captain James Milner and Zielinski sent Becker the wrong way from the penalty spot and after just 5 minutes of game time, the home side were in front.
The next 10 minutes would see the situation rapidly get worse for the visiting Reds from Liverpool, but thankfully not the score line, and this was all down to their Brazilian goalkeeper. First on 9 minutes, stand in captain Milner was yellow carded for a rash if authority grabbing tackle, but it made little difference as the pale blue shirts of Napoli continued to run roughshod over a desperately out of sorts midfield and the defence they were supposed to be protecting. Exactly on the quarter of an hour mark Napoli simply “played through” Liverpool once again, quickly transitioning from midfield into devastating attack from one visionary pass from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa who now joined the list of Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Piotr Zielinski and Matteo Politano as Napoli’s chief tormentors. His pass released Osimhen again who this time cut back inside a sloppy and dangerously rash challenge from Virgil van Dijk and after a VAR review a second penalty inside 15 minutes was awarded against the Reds as well as a yellow card against their towering, out of sorts Dutch defender. Surprisingly, Piotr Zielinski didn’t take this second penalty despite scoring the first, leaving Victor Osimhen to dust himself down from the challenge that led to the penalty he’d ultimately see brilliantly saved by Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Just 15 minutes into this first Champions League group stage game and whilst the Reds appeared to be running in treacle, their light blue shirted opponents were running them ragged. Already a goal down, it could and should have been doubled and they were indebted to their Brazilian goalkeeper for a brilliant save from Osimhen’s penalty kick but the further roll call of woes continued in that yet again they simply hadn’t started this game, at all, and both their stand in captain and next most experienced player had both been booked. It was a horror start all round but massive plaudits were due to Cameroonian International Anguissa, Italian International Politano, Polish International Zielinski and Georgian International Kvaratshelia who were jointly and cohesively tearing Liverpool to shreds.
Quixotically, Liverpool improved slightly as both halves of football wore on and here in the first half a foul on Fabinho led to a stinging free kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold that forced Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret into his first serious save of the evening. Corner after corner followed but Mo Salah’s mis-control when clear, wide and free on goal summed up both his contribution this evening and that of his team as a whole. Although the Reds had finally started, alas their spell of pressure was soon eased (through the triangle yet again of Victor Osimhen, Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia) before Politano released Osimhen who easily dispossessed Joe Gomez before squaring to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who forced a retreating Virgil van Dijk to clear a certain goal from the goal line. Liverpool immediately struck back through some clever one-two passes between Harvey Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold that saw Mo Salah’s smart shot easily saved by Alex Meret but almost instantly they were 2–0 down with the game already seemingly over. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s header to Joe Gomez on the halfway line seemed innocuous but as Gomez dithered, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia didn’t, and he sprinted clear without a defensive challenge. He toyed with Gomez before Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa re-joined the ongoing torment with a simple one-two pass with Piotr Zielinski that saw the Cameroonian International waltz through the gigantic holes in the Liverpool defence before scoring past Alisson Becker at his near post.
30 minutes gone, the Reds were 2–0 down, sinking, and it was to get even worse before half-time. Goal scoring chances fell to Virgil van Dijk and Harvey Elliott in quick succession before right on the cusp of the half-time break, Liverpool conceded a criminally poor and disgraceful third goal. It was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia yet again who attacked down the Napoli left wing, leaving a half hearted challenge from Trent Alexander-Arnold in his wake before simply shrugging off a non existent challenge from Joe Gomez and squaring the ball to the unmarked Giovanni Simeone who scored into a gaping and empty Liverpool net. The Reds had simply gifted the Italian team a third goal almost unchallenged and as Napoli rejoiced, I for one had a bitter and angry taste in my mouth. Defeat is a sad part of a sporting contest, but this goal in particular, and right on the edge of the end of the first half, was unforgivable.
3–0 became 4–0 just 2 minutes into the second half and mere seconds from a Liverpool corner that saw a good Joel Matip header on goal well saved by Alex Meret. But again the Reds switched off almost immediately and succumbed to a simple pass forward from Anguissa that ripped their defence apart. Simeone’s square ball on the edge of the penalty area led to a firm shot from Piotr Zielinski that forced a smart save from Alisson Becker but as the ball rebounded free from the Brazilian goalkeeper, the Polish International simply “dinked” the resultant loose ball into the corner of the Reds net.
Despite the words penned so far, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Liverpool as their one true guiding light, Colombian Luis Diaz, scored a brilliant goal on 49 minutes from the edge of the penalty area before being denied a second on 60 minutes as his powerful flying header was brilliantly tipped over his crossbar by Alex Meret. Diaz’s non-stop energy and fighting spirit was a real and tangible singular stand out this evening, accompanied by the youthful energy of Harvey Elliott and a tough tackling substitute appearance from Thiago Alcantara. Boy has he been missed! Thiago is clearly fit and must be a definite starter on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Diogo Jota also got some game time under his belt following yet another injury (but isn’t anywhere near fit) and Andy Robertson escapes any wrath for this evening’s debacle. The rest? Tired. Jaded. Uninspired. Virgil van Dijk has, shock, horror, feet of clay after all, and Fabinho needs help and experience next to him in the engine room of a midfield that has simply gone missing.
The worry is that none of this is either hyperbole or reactionary nonsense after a heavy defeat. This has been coming. Even a cursory glance at the capitulation against Manchester United and the sluggish performances against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United would tell you so.
Jurgen Klopp has to “re-invent” a team shorn of Sadio Mane coupled with a replacement who is far from the finished article expected in the instantaneous internet age and a raft of experienced players sitting injured on the side lines.
The “Sword of Damocles season” was shown in its true light this evening, and there’s no easy quick fix.
Thanks for reading. My three most recently published articles on the Mighty Reds of Liverpool are linked below:
Merseyside Derby stalemate just desserts for Reds and Blues alike
Everton 0 Liverpool 0, 3rd September 2022medium.com
Last gasp Carvalho breaks Newcastle hearts
Liverpool 2 Newcastle United 1, 31st August 2022medium.com
Reds pick apart The Cherries as their season finally takes flight
Liverpool 9 Bournemouth 0 (27th August 2022)medium.com