Reds back to winning ways over a toothless Wolves
Liverpool 2 Wolves 0, 1st March 2023.
Liverpool 2 Wolves 0, 1st March 2023.
All’s well that ended well last evening at Anfield as Liverpool’s “Sword of Damocles Season” continued along its perilous way. Ten goals conceded and dumped out of two of the three cup competitions since the resumption of domestic competition after world soccer’s shindig in Qatar, last evening’s 2–0 victory confirmed ten points from a possible twelve in their last four Premier League games, and four consecutive clean sheets for a still shaky defence under the command of the man with the most magnificent of beards in the Reds goal, Brazilian shot stopper extraordinaire, Alisson Becker. Ali made a crucial save on just five minutes when he tipped a goal bound effort from Joao Mountinho around his far post for a corner, but was a distant spectator for the remaining 85 minutes in which he was never called upon for any further meaningful action, aside from starting the wonderful team move that flowed from one end of Anfield to the other on 77 minutes for Mo Salah’s game defining second goal.
As I said, all’s well that ended well.
18 year old wunderkind Stefan Bajcetic tamely volleyed toward the Wolves goal mere seconds before Mountinho brought out the very best in the Reds goalkeeping custodian, and in a lively opening five minutes last evening that threatened real promise of an exciting, attacking contest. Alas a drab, dull first half followed, only illuminated by the performance of Fabinho in the Reds midfield who had a quite outstanding first 45 minutes. His tackle started the counter attack that followed via Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez that saw the Reds other midfield teenage sensation, Harvey Elliott, head wide on 39 minutes when he should have scored. It was Fabinho again who started the flowing move early in injury time that resulted in Elliott being denied at the near post by a smart save from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Aside from this, I mused upon why so many teams insist on a silver coloured away strip that looks white to the naked eye (my own Reds are alas, equally culpable) and worried that the real highlight of last evening’s first half was Mo Salah playing skittles in the Wolves penalty area! On 34 minutes, the diminutive Egyptian King was tussling with the aforementioned and equally small of stature Joao Moutinho on the Wolves goal line as they jostled for position at a Reds corner. Salah, that dastardly brute of a man, pushed Moutinho who comically fell backwards, taking his goalkeeper Jose Sa with him! I was instantly reminded of my football travelling pal of decades past, a genial gentleman by the name of Charlie who, when players of the diminutive stature of say Michael Owen or Vladimir Smicer tussled and picked a fight with a much bigger, wider and tougher opponent, would leap from his seat and tell our bantamweight champions to stop picking on the heavyweights! “Put him down Vlad you big brute!” was one such memory I’ve probably made up but the kernel of truth is there, as was the real truth that this first half of football was only highlighted by a game of human skittles, silver football kits that look white, and Harvey Elliott belying his teenage years and urging the team he adores forward in search of a much needed Premier League victory.
Wolves offered nothing in the way of attacking purpose in a second half entirely dominated by a Liverpool team who believed they had the first goal of the game on 65 minutes until VAR, that sucker of footballing joy, intervened to say otherwise and whilst Nunez’s celebration was cut short, he was first on the scene as Virgil van Dijk leaped for joy after his header did count, was a goal, and the Reds finally in front on 73 minutes. Four minutes later and the game was over as a contest, and what a gem of a goal it was. From Alisson Becker’s long throw and via a neat one/two between Cody Gakpo and Kostas Tsimikas, the Greek international marauded forward before squaring to Mo Salah who whilst bundling home the goal in off his thigh, it rounded off a move from back to front, goalkeeper to goal scorer, in six or seven total touches of the ball, and only a handful of exhilarating seconds.
3 Premier League points, 10 from a possible 12 with 4 consecutive clean sheets, the Reds climb back once more to 6th place in the league, 6 points and 2 places from the promised land of the Champions League and 10 points distant of Sunday’s visitors Manchester United. Much like this evening, I anticipate a much changed Liverpool for the visit of their bitterest of all possible rivals at the weekend, with Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson sure to return to the starting XI as well as perhaps the fresher and fitter Cody Gakpo rather than the impressive return so far from injury of Diogo Jota. Those “Red Devils” from Manchester will arrive on Sunday with the League Cup under their footballing arm, still challenging on every front and in arguably a role reversal of recent years. As one north west giant seeks a new identity amid a cloud of uncertainty, the other is riding a crest of a wave and sadly, taking ownership of the silverware won by the Mighty Reds just 12 months ago. We can but hope this is the only trophy our Mancunian cousins win this season.
Small steps forward albeit against little resistance.
Another 3 points in the Premier League bag.
Mo Salah back amongst the goals.
As I said, all’s well that ended well.
Afterword from The Boss, Jurgen Klopp (courtesy of www.liverpoolfc.com)
“I thought the whole story of the game is an important one for us to take. I think we did a lot of good stuff in the first half, played the way we had to play. Didn’t create that many clear-cut chances, the best one was probably the header from Harvey which he missed. In the first half there were a few minutes where we looked a bit in a rush because it didn’t happen yet, but we calmed down again and found the football patience again and played in the right way. Then you force this second goal. I think Virg could have scored already with the header from the free-kick but then top situation from Diogo and really nice goal. And the second goal was exceptional play; a really good counter-attack, each pass was perfect. And then we controlled it again. So, it was a good performance from us and a really important one. And of course again a clean sheet, which is extremely helpful. These are all positives for us, all good”.
“I thought Anfield proved a point tonight again, it was super, super-enjoyable. It felt like a proper unit, we were all together — I loved that. That’s what we need again on Sunday, but of course it will be difficult. Again, if you face Manchester United at the weekend whichever result you’ve had before, either way you have to strike back or whatever, but now we have to use it for our general situation. We have to build on the performance and on the result — and we try everything to do exactly that”.
Thanks for reading. There is a wealth of past and present articles on Liverpool FC within my library here or alternatively, here are my three most recently published articles from this season:
Saturday night thriller it wasn’t as the Reds limp to a point at the Palace
Crystal Palace 0 Liverpool 0, 25th February 2023.medium.com
Magnifico Los Blancos barrer a un lado Los Rojos
Liverpool 2 Real Madrid 5, 21st February 2023.medium.com
The crazy chaos of the Premier League! But the Reds grab all 3 points
Newcastle United 0 Liverpool 2, 18th February 2023.medium.com