When is Sky interviewing Mendy? That’ll be helpful
1 Like
I wasn’t paying attention. Christmas and all
1 Like
When was the last time Kante and Kovačić started together for Chelsea? It’s midfield where we lost quite a few points this season and it doesn’t get more difficult than playing against these two.
1 Like
Also, while I like Lukaku better than most do, I think Virgil has typically handled him with ease. Pulisic less so.
1 Like
You just wonder, can Chelsea even sell him for anything like what they’ve paid? If he liked Inter so much, why leave? Weird situation.
I think he followed the money, plus he might have had a sense of unfinished business in the PL.
Wasn’t Inter also needing the money? Had he refused to leave he might have seen several of his team mates go, and been left with a team that didn’t provide him with the service he thrived on.
2 Likes
Funnily enough, I fully expected them to play Jorginho (maybe even play all 3), with the problems they have, to help them bypass our pressing. But Kovacic’s form since returning from injury has been good and Kante is Kante.
I wonder what’s Raiolas role in all this. He is Lukakus agent.
When I spoke to some fans of Croatia or Real Madrid (while he was playing there), they seemed critical of him basically because he wasn’t Modrić, that’s what it boiled down to. I can’t remember many better midfield performances than the one he put in for Chelsea today. I’ve been speaking for years that I can’t get my head around him not joining Liverpool in the past, even if the chances were slim. Yes, he has his injury issues but he’s essentially a more technical version of Wijnaldum that Liverpool need at this moment - and it’s not like we’re used to iron men in midfield. Like you, I expected Jorginho but Tuchel opted for energy, there are not many midfields where you have players with such tenacity and technical ability. I read his stats after the match, they’re unreal.
1 Like
Probably expectations or frustrations (most people, including me, like Kova due to his technique, pace, being a normal guy, working hard, etc.) because he showed top talent very early. Got shifted around in different positions at Inter. At Real it wasn’t easy because it’s Real and that midfield trio over there was one of the best midfields in Europe in last years. You get that even with Rakitic in Croatia, I don’t think he gets enough love here because there’s also this other guy called Modric. To be fair, it did take a bit for Kovacic to start playing more responsible and serious football (because before, he could be a victim of his own skills, using them in really wrong parts of the pitch and wrong situations), but this is now an old story, he’s very good for a while now. He’s not a #10, he’s best in this LCM role or one of the #8’s, can even do the more deeper/disciplined one.
1 Like
He was being linked before Fabinho signed. I wouldn’t be surprised if those links were genuine but we just got pushed out of the race by City (or was it Utd?) and Chelsea, and saw the opportunity to snap up Fabinho instead.
1 Like
Jorginho was our target (like City’s, he was basically their player before opting to go with Sarri at Chelsea). I think Kova was never really seriously/reliably linked with us under Klopp. But Klopp said a few times that he likes the player, I think that might date back to when Dortmund were looking at him (possibly his Dinamo Zagreb days or when he was struggling a bit at Inter). And I thought that would’ve been a good move for him, at the time. But now he’s settled at Chelsea and playing a lot of games in last years, he “finally” got and earned a role like that at a top side.
1 Like
Sorry, yes, Thanks @Zoran I was getting the two mixed up.
1 Like
For me that goal was luckier than lucky. Falling backward. Takes a stab at it. Nice that it went in, but a bit of a fluke. He was decent today, but Kante put in a performance from his best days.
2 Likes
I’d say it’s brilliant balance and bit of work with his standing/left foot, so he could hit it first time with his right.
Yes, it was a brilliant goal.
The disappointment for us is that it has a bit of the Lilian Thuram circa 1998 feel about it. I’d wager Kovacic has never done that in training before.
Then add that to the Havertz header in the reverse game earlier in the season - again, he’ll never score like that ever again.
1 Like
Well…this ended up being rather prescient.
True, one thing Kova is not good at is scoring goals. Technically a very capable player. Shit happens, we had our own surprising top goals out of nowhere.
Havertz is pretty tall for his playing style and playing in forward areas (maybe a bit too forward for his good), so he might do it again.
Nothing prescient about this, mate… Their midfielders are out of this world, even though there are still people who don’t rate Kovačić on the account of his Real Madrid spell, and our midfield has been way off their best for quite a while. Out of the current top eight, we’ve only beaten Man United when they were at their bottom and Arsenal just as they were starting their resurgence. The key to all of these matches we didn’t win was losing the midfield battle. That said, losing it to Man City and Chelsea is one thing, losing it to Brighton and West Ham is quite something else.
4 Likes