He has been coming back from injury. We’ve seen how players can underperform from just missing a pre-season so recovering as well is an added burden. Slot has stated that he wants Bradley to improve his physical fitness so he both performs well and avoid injury.
6 Likes
Right, coming out of nowhere to sneak in snide remarks on our captain who won everything with us.
10 Likes
He was great in loads of games last season after the RM match. And a talisman for NI. Been a difficult start to the season for him, but you could say that about everyone except Szobo. Conor is the real deal and I’m looking forward to him continuing to prove the doubters wrong
5 Likes
Our press was much better last night than what we have seen for a very long time (it seems to me). Wirtz worked very hard with intelligence. Salah made an effort and Ekitikè did what he always tries to do. With Szoboszlai stepping in at opportune moments we put the necessary pressure, that with the rest covering and marking up well, on RM to keep them relatively quiet.
The question is are we going to keep this pressing game, as it hasn’t been a focus for Slot’s team, or will we revert back to what we were doing before?
Salah looked almost like a different player putting in an effort for sustained periods and being effective.
After that it’s for Gakpo to step up and prove he deserves his place and Salah to put in at least a minimum of effort defensively.
4 Likes
Im hoping he really kicks on now.
3 Likes
3 Likes
That the Anfield atmosphere does not exist it has s just another game and I hope he drank those pictures at the end and wake up and smell the coffee.
2 Likes
Pathetic or what!
1 Like
What did Conor do with the gun though?
Wirtz seems to have picked up Robertson’s accent. Weird.
2 Likes
Are we allowed to talk about the penalty decision last night now?
After the Brentford all the sage wise heads confidently told us that VAR is not there to re-ref the game. After giving the free kick VAR is not allowed to intervene on this - all it can do is rule on whether it is in the box or not. Sorry Liverpool fans - that’s the protocol.
Until last night. The ref gives a free kick outside the box for handball. It’s clearly in the box, that’s not even in doubt. So when we hear there is a VAR check, as per the protocols we expect the referee is going to be told to upgrade it to a penalty. But he is sent to the screen to reverse his decision.
What those two decisions have in common is that I don’t think either ref wants to give the penalty. I think that both feel there is a threshold for a pen, and only blow the whistle because they think it’s only a free kick. The difference in one case is that VAR straitjackets the ref into upgrading to a pen, and in the other the ref is effectively encouraged to reverse a decision that VAR shouldn’t be interfering with.
I’m actually fine with either of those pathways, but I’m not OK with VAR just changing its fucking mind from one week to the next on how it can be used.
And to rub salt into the wound, the ball deflects off Tchoumeni and goes out over the goal line. So if the ref does want to reverse the free kick, then OK. But we’ll have the corner. It definitely shouldn’t be a drop ball to Madrid.
12 Likes
I can’t find it written, but I think this is actually the protocol after a VAR overturn. It is incredibly stupid, because it should be restoring the situation back to the erroneous decision. I can’t remember when the whistle was blown last night.
The laws don’t help with this, because it seems to be an unwritten rule that something that is a foul anywhere else on the pitch isn’t a foul in the box. I can see that the threshold for a penalty needs to be higher, but not an all or nothing approach. Should these minor infringements be a direct free kick in the box?
1 Like
10 Likes
Tail end was bad but the performance wasn’t out of control bad.
1 Like
He played well but on a couple of occasions under no pressure passed the ball straight to madrid players.
Nonsence..
1 Like
He definitely got better. 1st half I was pretty worried by him.
5 Likes
Not for me. Yes work rate was good but how often did he lose possession or missplace a pass?
3 Likes