Post match: RB Leipzig v Liverpool (UCL 16/2/21 8pm)

Never told her :wink:

I didn’t see Kabak dropping deeper unnecessarily last night but I did see Henderson out of position a lot. The Hwang chance was the clearest example of them all, god knows what Henderson was doing.

‘Dropping off’ when there’s no pressure on the ball is absolutely the right thing to do, and we were caught out repeatedly at the start of the season for failing to do so. I’ve no problem with Kabak erring on the side of caution there.

3 Likes

I’ll openly admit I’ve only seen the highlights so that is far from a complete view but it seemed every opportunity that Leipzig had came from running off the back of Henderson. No doubt the captain is doing his best back there but he looks like a midfielder playing at CB.

6 Likes

:rofl: sounds naughty

I was thinking from her point of view :smiley: :wink:

1 Like

To be honest and giving credit to Hwang, I thought he looked a real threat when he came on.

He runs from deep, the two opportunities where when he got beyond Henderson being a case in point.

1 Like

He also had a very good game against us with Salzburg.

2 Likes

I honestly dont remember that. Looks quick though.

I’ll put it down to … um …let me think, I cant remember

1 Like

He sells Henderson the fake - drop short, spin in behind. Henderson bought it and charged out far too quickly. In the 93rd minute of the game you’re 2-0 up that’s a poor decision.

Kabak being deep is probably the only thing that stopped Hwang having a simple square ball for Poulson to tap in an open goal.

If there’s another player to criticise for that sequence it’s Shaq. Lazy, lazy boy. Only been on the pitch for 10 minutes but gives Sabitzer all the time in the world to make the pass.

4 Likes

Yep no argument there. I liked the fact that he dropped off and then started his run from a slightly deeper position, rather than just off the shoulder. He caught Henderson square on and basically left him for dead as a result.

Clever movement and looked pacey as well.

2 Likes

Great result and a good performance, but I’m not going to get carried away because if seems none of the Leipzig forwards could ‘hit a cow on the arse with a banjo’.
EDIT: I get why Upamecano is rated though. He’s a monster.

2 Likes

He got a lot of criticism for last night but he actually defended well for the most part, he was just really crap on the ball.

Mukiele and Klostermann were really bad though. Mukiele especially, he was absolutely abysmal.

2 Likes

I see some comments saying the ref is the factor, I just think we had more energy last night, seemed to be more up for it, maybe the Ref giving those early yellows seemed to have an impact in our lads heads but it was by far the best 90 minutes in 2 months, probably up there with Atlanta and the Leicester game earlier in the season.

We had shown some of that energy we would have at least doubled our points total in the last 10 if not more.

3 Likes

Klostermann facing Salah wasn’t a pretty sight. Bigger slower defender against wiry, nimble attacker with space to operate and without the benefit of a ref allowing manhandling like in the PL. By the end of the game, he just wanted to be put out of his misery.

2 Likes

Agenda or no agenda, better officials or not, I still think Firmino scored a very legit goal, and that 3-0 would be very different than 2-0.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLXgZgCAfqm/?igshid=1usbnophfnxag

2 Likes

I think we all could accept mistakes, they happen I think it’s stuff like those lines drawn to suit what they want it suit and the over obvious rubbish like having to review fair challenges and not even to bother looking at season ending challenges.

I kind of enjoyed last night as you had a quick review on VAR and the game continued, there was one in which they asked for hands and it was all concluded within seconds and the game continued.

I would have said it was out to be honest but it’s another aspect of something different from us last night as opposed to the last month or two, the desire to get there and go forward and for it to be quick and yes not a lot came off but it’s better than seeing a slow build up and then nothing happening.

3 Likes

Leipzig tried to play football and were aggressively pressing us to try to force us into making mistakes.

Almost every other team we have played this season has just set up camp in their own penalty area and tried to get lucky on the counter attack.

Huge difference.

6 Likes

Although true, it still felt our intensity was there from the go, up a notch from previous games.

1 Like

Lots of factors came together for a good win. We looked sharper, more energy, and up for it. I can’t go overboard about the flat games we’ve had in this dog of a season, but the lads showed us better energy against Leipzig last night, and that was pleasing.

Officiating was also a factor. Thiago was allowed to tackle and get his foot in to nick the ball. In the Prem the refs keep blowing up for that. But more widely, the officiating was even, and the rules applied. It wasn’t perfect - it never is, but it was a hard fought contest between two teams getting on the front foot, and the officials did well.

Leipzig trying to play. They came at us and had their own chances too. We have struggled in the Prem against teams who tuck in and pack the defense and midfield, with their only ambition to hit us on the break bearing more fruit than it ought, against a depleted backline. Still, our good performance was partly down to Leipzig’s good performance too. We had a game on, between two teams having a go. It was a real pleasure to watch.

CL factor. Like it or not, but the most consistent team doesn’t necessarily win the CL. This season we are way off the pace in terms of consistency in the Prem and we won’t win it. Lots of factors have added to that. But the CL? We have pedigree there, and we have a chance. Not saying we are favorites by any stretch, but it is a huge competition and the lads just look like they know they have a chance. In the Prem we are playing with the weight of the world on our shoulders and need to snap out of it to secure top four. But the CL is another matter.

2 Likes

I think the early challenge by Thiago on Sabitzer had a huge psychological effect. In the Premier League, there is little doubt that he would have been awarded a yellow card for that, thereby immediately setting the team on the back foot.

The fact that the referee just gave him a talking to yesterday put the players’ minds at ease, in my opinion- they knew the game would be arbitrated fairly.

11 Likes

Really enjoyed the performance last night .
Thought the boys got stuck in and pressed all night .
Work rate in midfield was outstanding .
All 3 ran there socks off .
gini stood out for me .
Did an awful lot of tidying up .
Best game Curtis has had for us in terms of his involvement in the game .
I think he held and carried the ball really well .
Comfortable receiving the ball in tight situations as well .
Well done All

5 Likes