The effort it took to avoid sending off Bruno and then Kova in separate games look very much like a coordinated response to the criticism of Jota’s red. Which is of course the exact wrong response to the conreoversy because it only makes the impact on our game that much more apparent.
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I didn’t think we would get anything from this game after the way we played for the first 40 minutes. Not one attempt on goal during that period and then somehow, we were 2-1 up at half time. So frustrating not finishing the job in the 2nd half. Gravenberch scores that chance and it’s game over. Has there been any explanation why there was no red card for Gros? He made no attempt to play the ball and denied a clear goal scoring opportunity.
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On what evidence do you say it was a panic buy rather than settling for our last available option?
If you actually paid attention to what Jürgen said, then you’d have realised that he’s constantly at pains to stress that Endo is still learning our system.
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You’ve discovered the plan
There’s also this thing called tactics, where you study your opponent’s strengths and what they like to do and find ways to negate that…which we seemingly have no interest to do.
Playing into a sides hands is asking for trouble, surely we’ll have seen the West Ham game abd been encouraged by that and used it to our advantage?
David Lynch (liverpool correspondent for the Mirror) has reported the officials didn’t think it qualified as a Denial of a Goal Scoring Opportunity*. It is not an official statement, but he is reporting it as if it has come from a source. It is of course a thoroughly ridiculous suggestion, but this is apparently what they went with.
*@cynicaloldgit Are you happy now!
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Of course. No one wants us not to win the EL or Challenge for the PL, but if we don’t, it’s not because we’re crap, but because we aren’t quite there yet. It’s great to be on the upward curve. The sky’s the limit for this team.
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Going into the International break, and looking where we are in the table after the teams and games we already have under our belt, we would probably be hard pressed to find any LFC fan not feeling content as this moment in time with our league position. Certainly if offered it pre-season.
Furthermore, looking at the three games this season whence we have dropped points, Chelsea, Spurs and Brighton, we could also feel hard done by in the nature we have dropped these points… In other words, the future is looking bright at this moment.
The Cheaters and Arsenal are not looking anything special, Sandcastle will blow up within their own hype, and Spurs, even if they are an improved version of themselves, will still be Spurs later on in the season… Son and Madison don’t have a long hard slog of a season in their legs anymore.
The more games this young side plays alongside each other, the words of correction and improvement that Jurgen drums into them after each game, the slicker and more confident this side will become -
Paced at one game at a time - The title is ours for the taking :0)
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I think the other interesting thing is that of us, City and Arsenal we were the ones who had the big overhaul and had the licence to start the season slowly. Most would have imagined we’d have some growing pains as this new side came together into a coherent rhythm. And we certainly some evidence of that in patches of our play, yet there is no real distance between us and teams who really should have been able to continue on as they were last year.
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This is the image
The nearest other defender trying to cover back will not even come into frame until after Szobo has already hit the deck. Not only can you not claim with a straight face that is not a GSO, you would put a lot of money on Szbo scoring if he was allowed to get to the ball unhindered given how out of position the goalie is. There is no explanation offered, just a reference to the criteria for what they considered and no attempt to match those to what we can all clearly see
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Ah cool. So this is the new standard? Something correct only needs to be said once and everyone automatically takes it on board? Good to know. Good to know. Good to know.
I’d say one can argue that it was a panic but as Endo was bought late in the window, after we failed to land our primary targets Caicedo and Laiva. If we had this strong interest in Endo, he could have been brought in early in the window for the same fee and he would have had more time to learn our system.
Of course the gaffer don’t want to throw him under the bus, hence claiming he’s learning the system, but no one can convince me that Endo was on top of our list this summer.
He would never be on top of our shopping list solely because of his age
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Walking with the ball at our feet, playing the ball sideways or back wards most of the time and hardly any passion.
There needs a lot to be done IMO
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In both scenarios, panic buying or settling for our last option, the outcome is unfavourable. He’s essentially a squad player, no more than that.
His performances so far have been a little underwhelming, and there’s uncertainty about the scope for real improvement. Currently, there’s a lack of confidence in starting him. Just not sure it’s all adjusting to our system. Possibly.
What we truly needed was to secure a first-choice player, not just another option for the squad. Currently, we lack a top-tier number 6. Hopefully it doesn’t preclude us from strengthening the midfield further. Surely.
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- denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below)
This is the only thought in regards to denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity as Szobo is moving laterally when he his brought down and comes from the laws of the game, red card offences.
However below is also from the Laws of the game
The offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off.
The following must be considered:
- distance between the offence and the goal
- general direction of the play
- likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball
- location and number of defenders.
So the only get out is the number of defenders and the general direction of play.
You’ve seen both red and yellow cards for this but it us so it would’ve always be the least severe.
Yes we all know the criteria. We dont need to go over it yet again. The point is there is no defensible basis for saying they dont apply in this situation, even if he was moving laterally seeing as those steps were towards goal.
I actually wouldn’t be surprised if they come out and say it was because they thought Dunk had a good chance of winning the ball anyway. Which is about the most predictable argument seeing as I was explicitly told that could not be a consideration for Virgil in his red card.
Notably Dunk was not even given a yellow. That was the real time evidence for inferring that the refs didnt think it was a DOGSO
It looked more of a goalscoring opportunity than Isak,s when VvD was sent off against Newcastle for Denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Szob is moving laterally is the only one and It wasn’t Dunk it was Gross and I am lost at why a yellow wasn’t given.
Van Dijk puzzled over Gross avoiding red card against Liverpool
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has admitted his surprise after Pascal Gross avoided a red card in their draw at Brighton despite clumsily gifting away a penalty.
Midfielder Gross was not booked after hauling down Dominik Szoboszlai inside the box, with Mohamed Salah stepping up to convert and hand the visitors the lead.
It is believed Gross controversially evaded punishment because VAR officials did not view the opening for Szoboszlai as a ‘clear goalscoring opportunity’.
The call ultimately proved costly with Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk forcing a share of the spoils with a late equaliser, leaving Liverpool ruing yet more divisive officiating.
‘On the pitch you are thinking about this and you have to be careful for asking if was going to get sent off,’ Van Dijk told Sky Sports post-match.
‘I was curious for the reason why he didn’t get a booking. We win the penalty, we score the penalty and the ref didn’t give a yellow or a red. We have to accept it.’
Gross was guilty of holding on to Szoboszlai’s shirt after a mix-up at the back, with a poor pass from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen snatched up by the high press
But referee Anthony Taylor did not brandish a card and VAR Chris Kavanagh opted not to advise the official to take a look at the incident on his pitchside monitor.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was reluctant to criticise the decision, saying: 'I didn’t even realise at the time to be honest. When it was a penalty, I didn’t think about a red.
'But I’ve heard now it was about whether it was a goal-scoring opportunity. Can I ask the question here? Do you think it was a goal-scoring opportunity? Hands up! I haven’t seen it back yet. Oh, a few hands up!
'What can I say about that? I’m over it. I’m too old for these kind of things. It won’t change it.
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