The Reds Retrospective

That stings. After a poor first half performance where a clumsy touch or errant pass would end Liverpool’s build up play before it even started, the team seemed rejuvenated after halftime, taking the game to City and taking the lead via an amazing Dominik Szoboszlai free kick (’74).

Unfortunately, ten minutes later it all began to slip away for the reds. Erling Haaland was able to win a header on the edge of the box, dinking the ball through to Bernardo Silva for his first goal of the season in the 84th minute.

As the game bled into 7 minutes of added time, all observers had the feeling that this was not a game that would end in a draw. Both teams were fighting for a critical three points, for City the awarding of a penalty (90+3), with Erling Haaland slotting it home for the win means that they remain in the title race.

For us, it means that we fall further away from the Champions league positions, as we now sit 4 points off of Chelsea who are in fifth. We are also 12 goals behind Chelsea in the tiebreaker, which could be critical.

Of course, City did need to see out the rest of extra time, which was both hectic and controversial. After Alisson remained in City’s half of the pitch as the reds fought for an equalizer, Rayan Cherki rolled a ball from the halfway marker that eventually dribbled into the goal and was awarded on field as a goal despite some shirt grabbing between Dominik Szoboszlai and Erling Haaland in a race for the ball.

VAR’s intervention awarded City a free kick, as Szoboszlai tugged Haaland first outside the box, while removing the goal because of Harland’s eventual interference with Szoboszlai. For his actions, illegally stopping Haaland from scoring in the eyes of VAR, Szoboszlai was given a red card. He will not travel to the Stadium of Light for Wednesday’s encounter with Sunderland, a major loss.

Phew – that was some recap – now for some ratings.

Referee, Craig Pawson – 3
Honestly, PGMOL is a disaster with no standards. On a weekly basis, no matter who it is lately, you just get the feeling that these referees have lost control of the matches that they officiate.

Its not even that I necessarily disagreed vehemently with any of the eventual resolutions to controversial moments such as Salah’s first half claim for a penalty (if that was Cherki or Haaland we’d also argue there wasn’t enough there), or his decision to award a penalty against Alisson.

However, my issue with Craig Pawson was his reliance on VAR to see the obvious at the end of the match. With absolutely no one around, and a clear view of a wrestling match taking place in Liverpool’s 18 yard box, Pawson called a goal? Ludicrous incompetency and VAR never should have had to become involved.

If the correct call on the field would have saved Szoboszlai from a red card – I guess we’ll never know. And it may not have, but that doesn’t save Pawson from any criticism from myself and many others.

A long review for a ref, but Pawson has given plenty to talk about, which is also the antithesis of his objective. I’m circling up to subtract another point.

Alisson – 4.5
I’ll table my thoughts on the obvious talking point briefly. Prior to the penalty concession, there were times where Alisson looked like himself, launching counter attacks with booming punts up the pitch when Liverpool’s tails were properly up. And to Alisson’s credit, if not for a lack of clinicality in the final third, I should be discussing how he sparked a goal on the counter attack.

Sidebar: We really should have scored a few times in that second half. But I’ll save that for later ratings.

Back to our number 1. Bernardo Silva beat him with a poacher’s finish, Haaland scored a penalty. Fine, not much he could have done in either of those isolated incidents.

The concession of the penalty itself is something that I have a few independent thoughts on. Firstly, it was a penalty if we are being consistent. I’m not mad at the call, we have seen incidents where a keeper’s rash interference with an attacker after the ball has been shot has led to a penalty.

While I do not fully blame Alisson for the penalty – its the heat of the moment in stoppage time and he was trying to do his job and close down – where I have given him some criticism lately is for uncharacteristic lapses in focus. We have seen these lapses primarily in distribution but they were also present in other areas today.

Early in the second half Alisson jumped past the ball outside the box leaving the net empty if the ball had taken a more fortuitous bounce from a City perspective. He also missed Ryan Gravenberch on a simple 10 foot pass in the first half that was a City throw in.

Those didn’t end up being major issues for us obviously, however with the context of these lapses, not adding in that he dove somewhat recklessly at Nunes’s feet and conceded the game losing penalty would not be a fully holistic viewpoint. My criticism does not come from a bad place at all with any of these ratings. I am not dogging for dogging’s sake.

I still rate Alisson as one of the world’s best, but he hasn’t been on his game lately. It feels harsh but he gets a 4.5.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 7
Of course the two most eventful performances to speak on are the first two names on the team sheet. Shout out to our squad depth as I am talking about right back Szoboszlai.

Firstly, what a classy player. Aside from the free kick magic that deserved “match winning” status, It was again a clean (bar the final minute) and potent performance. We will miss him on Wednesday.

His goal was incredible, and all I could think before his free kick was how is he gonna blow us away this time. All we expect from Dom is brilliance and all he does this season is back it up.

I already eluded to my thoughts on the red card. Trivial as it comes to its actual impact on proceedings in the match, and if you want to debate if it was or if it should have been if the ref had just done his job you certainly can. I’m going to keep its impact on my rating for Dom trivial as well. He walks away with a 7.

Virgil Van Dijk – 6
These are pretty positive ratings for a 2-1 loss, but in the second half especially when the tide turned I actually just thought that Virgil and Konate were solid today. I thought City were marshaled well enough until the chaos of the final ten minutes.

When Alexis Mac Allister got a foot on Rodri’s ball into the box on the first goal it tipped into a highly advantageous position for Erling Haaland, who was never losing that header to an adapting Konate. Bernardo Silva made a well timed run past Van Dijk for the goal, but that’s broken play football. Not much that could have been done.

Ibrahima Konate – 6
See the above.

Milos Kerkez – 6
Milos keeps growing on me. I thought he played fine today. Subbed off for Fede’s charity minutes from Slot (90+4).

Ryan Gravenberch – 5
Penalizing because I thought that the build up in the first half was very sloppy and honestly he was apart of it – although I do think it’s mostly tactical.

He simply wasn’t on it today on a personal level.

Alexis Mac Allister – 6.5
Credit where credit is due I thought Mac Allister was lively enough today. After our victory against Newcastle I called him a passenger. He was more of a conductor today. Nearly leveled the match bar an outstanding save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Mohamed Salah – 4.5
The flash of brilliance on the cross to Ekitike that wasn’t finished won’t save Mo. Because in truth, he’s still just not remotely close to his best is he?

Criticizing Mo is not fun but what’s the point in doing this if I’m not sharing my real opinion.

Florian Wirtz – 5.5
Creative and incisive when he got on the ball. Didn’t get the ball enough. Sometimes watching Flo when we aren’t able to create anything is like watching a Ferarri stuck in rush hour traffic. Release the hand break Arne.

Cody Gakpo – 5
Cody played football today. Subbed off for Curtis Jones (’85).

Hugo Ekitike – 5
Big fan of Hugo, but I just thought he was uncharacteristically wasteful today. We needed to capitalize when we were attacking and we did not. Made a notably poor decision to not lay the ball off to Florian Wirtz at a point on a counter attack.

Curtis Jones (’85), Federico Chiesa (90+4) – N/R
Subbed too late to receive a rating

Manager, Arne Slot – 4
It very simply is not good enough. Granted, the team once again came out at half time and grew into the game (bonus points for Arne, I guess), we still start games slow.

We still don’t play an attacking style of football (but we did against PSG a year ago, I guess).

We still fail to use our best players in a manner that allows them to be our best players.

We still fail to make substitutions that make any sense.

We still fail to utilize and work with our small squad (that he asked for).

We still under achieve, there are still better managers looking for a job.

But we’re waiting to miss out on the UCL and lose tens if not hundreds of millions in revenue to move on from Slot.

I guess.