If you actually watched the game live, you’d probably be saying that we played far too deep, for far too long.
Something I’d agree with at face value.
But my more overwhelming feeling is that we didn’t help ourselves as a team.
How many times were our players too easily dis-possessed by Liverpool players who were working at a great tempo and looking to get the ball back all the time?
Going one down after the first minute or two, when Milner found loads of space amid a slack defence didn’t help and we had to be careful, as they were creating chances all over the place. But only because we were allowing them too, by us being nowhere near sharp enough.
Ok, we only went in one down at half time, but it could easily have been way more, with Liverpool creating chances and finding acres of space at will.
You know we’re in trouble when Sinclair is playing most of his game helping out Hutton, who was constantly under the cosh.
So, basically we were facing an onslaught for the whole first half, but still went in one down.
We were lucky, although Gestede had a blinding chance, where he only had to shoot straight at the goal to have a decent chance of a goal. It went wide.
I’d have liked Traore on when we came back on, as I felt we needed to give them something to think about, but it didn’t happen and there were no changes.
And then they went two up with a very decent goal from Sturridge.
It seemed all over, only for us to actually get the ball out wide for once for Amavi to cross and Gestede, who hadn’t been involved and looked poor, scored.
A minute later though, Sturridge had a similar chance to Gestede’s first half one, one at a much wider angle.
Needless to say, he buried it.
3-1 then and again it looked all over, only for Gestede to score with a stonking header, that left Mignolet no chance.
And then after the subs that Sherwood made, we upped the pressure and started chasing the ball and pressing, as Pool had done previously.
And we got back into it, so much so that a 3-3 result wasn’t off the table.
But it was too little, too late.
So while the tactics were probably designed to try and stifle Pool in the first half, with the new lads coming on later (a tactic that did work to some extent, as Liverpool’s players tired), it was disappointing how the first half team couldn’t up the pace/sharpness when required.
So, a self-inflicted loss for me then, made more disappointing when you consider that Liverpool are poor in defence.
They look very beatable if you actually attack them and Rodgers’ dismissal has only been delayed in my opinion.
No sour grapes there though, they deserved to beat us easily.
As for us, it’s now beginning to become worrying.
There’s no doubt in my mind Gabby would have started today if he possibly could have, for example.
And he’d have offered less than Gestede, given that he doesn’t head the ball that well.
We need to start the likes of Ayew, Gana, Vertout and Traore everytime.
And play those that haven’t worked previously, after, if the new lads can’t do it.
