While simultaneously going unbeaten for 21 games in a row, and scoring 30 goals in 9 games 
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Don’t know where to start after that.
We played some great stuff at times but nobody really stood out apart from Alisson. Front 3 were quiet despite us scoring 3. midfield a lot more assured once Fab came on.
I’m really worried about our defending. Not digging any players out individually but we are far too easy to score against. Been saying it for a while now - we have no resilience at all and fold as soon as we’re under any pressure. All 3 CL games we’ve conceded far too easily and sooner or later it will cost us dear if we don’t address the problem.
Tempted to give the referee MOTM tonight, at last a ref who was prepared to stand up to their fucking bullshit. I thought it was a pen at first, was 50-50 when I saw the replay but thought he’d still give it. Took balls to change his mind with that fucking demented dickhead in full flow. Got the red card right as well even though there was no malice in the challenge, almost felt sorry for Griezeman but hey, tough shit.
I’ll say one thing for Simeone. It takes a special kind of cunt to turn just about every player you manage into a dirty, cheating shithouse. How do you do that? Great to see him whinge off at the end, must be so disappointing seeing your absolute shithousery go unrewarded.
My only concern now for the 2nd game is we might take our foot off the gas thinking it’s job done. Same for the crowd. We need to make it fucking horrible for these twats, bus welcome and a nasty, hostile atmosphere in the ground. I’d be more than happy to see us beat these cunts and then gift Porto 3 points if it means they go out.
Up the fucking Reds!!
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I don’t buy this notion Keita struggles defensively because hes on right. He isn’t stuck on the touch line its right of the middle 3. Both the instances where he was skipped around like he wasn’t there was a lack of effort.
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Confusing isn’t it? 
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Keita doesn’t struggle on the right. Keita struggles defensively. The team struggles with Keita on the right.
When he plays there with Trent and Mo there’s no real defensive presence down that side and Trent often ends up outnumbered/out of position. On the left Robbo and Mane are more defensively adroit and would cover the weakness in Keita’s game allowing him to showcase his attacking abilities more. On the right Mo does a lot less defensive work (barring the City game) than Mane and Trent typically lingers further up the pitch than Robbo. This means the midfielder on the right hand side has to be more defensively capable than Keita because they are covering Trent and Salah - a job that Hendo has done brilliantly for the last few seasons and that Thiago has done well at while fit this past year and half. On the left of the three there is more license for the midfielder to be more attacking because Robbo and Mane do more defensive work than their counterparts on the other wing and typically occupy deeper positions. This is why Keita’s place is on the left of the midfield three. It would help cover his weaknesses and allow him to showcase his strengths. It’s no coincidence his best games for us have been when he’s played on the left in the midfield 3.
Also I wouldn’t say it was a lack of effort. I’d say it was a lack of nous. The second goal where Felix fleeces him happens because Keita is rash and commits to try to nick the ball instead of maintaining the press. He put the effort in and tried something, but it wasn’t the right thing to try because he lacks the nous.
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Our midfield struggled until Fabinho came on. At 2 - 0 up we should have just been tight for ten or fifteen minutes but we gave the ball away cheaply and then were poor in tackling. Keita was the curates egg, good in parts but really poor on their two goals.
Hendo is full of energy but at times needs to chill down and seek a better pass. The high voltage stuff is neccessary at times but a bit of coolness is better.
I thought Ox did well when he came on. He used the ball well and covered back when required.
Its a great win, and all the sweeter that the ref was pretty good.
All that said, Allison was my MOTM. Couple of vital saves tonight.
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1stly was it the same player that skinned him on those occassions?
Also both times he went to tackle/take the ball from the right/right foot of said player, who just put it on his left foot and skipped round him.
The point being perhaps it is a function of being on the wrong side of the pitch for him, no?
If he’s used to and better at tackling right footed players he might be better off at LCM? (at least defensively, this isn’t the 1st time his defensive contribution at RCM has been questioned is it RM comes to mind).
I agree for the 1st goal he had to commit more, either take the ball or commit the foul (at risk of a card) not for the goal from the short corner (that would risk a penalty).
He looked out of his depth at the level being discussed defensively (which imo takes any discussion of what he did or didn’t do at Liepzg for example out of the equation imo he’s not good enough defensively at ‘this’ level).
So my point is that i dispute the ‘lack of effort’ tag and replace it with ‘not good enough as beaten to easily at this level’ this wouldn’t discount him as an option for EPL footy but does for CL matches against the ‘better’ teams.
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Thought van Dijk was poor defensifly all night, he was watching not doing.
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Sometimes you must make a (hard) faul in stead of watching, some are to nice.
He was not the messiah tonight, he was a very naughty Dutchman.
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Yep he was poor as was Joel
Naby appears to be a powerful multiplier for our attack. I don’t think it is a coincidence that some of our larger spankings of weaker sides have coincided with his (rare!) fitness and form.
His defensive game is (at least currently) weak though, and it was an entirely understandable decision to replace him with Fab at half time.
Horses for courses. He was the right man to hit them with some intense rock and roll from the off, but Fab was the man for that moment. We needed to regain some control. With 5 subs why not? Not necessarily a damning indictment on him just a sensible use of the squad by Klopp.
I still have (small) hope that he will prove a very useful tool in the many different situations we find ourselves in challenging for the PL and CL this year.
I am ever the optimist though…
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Had to work so just finished watching a recording of the match. Phew. Three points at their place is an excellent result.
Atletico Madrid have lots of excellent players. That they then employ all the dark arts is a disgrace. An outmatched team trying to level it up, aka Burnley, is unpalatable but understandable. They have no excuse as they are actually a good team. It all flows down from the manager, who sets the tone.
Simeone is an unprofessional baby. He spent the whole game hands in the air, either whipping the crowd up or gesticulating and moaning to the officials. Then he ran down the tunnel at the end and didn’t shake Klopp’s hand. Small time.
As for the game, Mane was getting fouled so much, and it was rarely given. The foul on Jota for the penalty was met with incredulity, because he had been doing it to Mane all game without punishment. Clear pen though.
Their pen shout was weak, and rightly ruled out, although Jota was careless in giving the ref some sort of reason to blow his whistle, by getting the wrong side and touching the player. Still, he made the most of the contact and I was relieved to see it ruled out.
Naby Keita showed both sides of his game. Excellent volley for a special goal. But then he let them go past him too easily, leading to one goal and also other dangerous situations. Subbed at halftime was right.
Grease man red was correct. Dangerous play, foot up, kicked Bobby’s head. Off yer pop.
Mo’s first goal I thought was Millie’s, as he looked to intentionally redirect it. Still, Liverpool goal is all that matters. Mo stuck his penalty away with aplomb too, winding up to blast it, but then slowing at the last split second and tucking it away with composure. Very nice.
Alisson brilliant saves kept us in it at times.
Their first goal? I don’t know why that wasn’t chalked off, both for offside and also for interference. I haven’t seen anything explained or written yet, so I will look for the explanation as to why it was given, as to my eye it should not have stood.
Anyway, all’s well that ends well. Away win. Nine points. Still not through, but very much in command of the group. We look quite irresistible. I still think Atletico will qualify too, but they will have to sweat for it a bit.
On to Man Utd. On the face of it I think we will hammer them, but it’s never that simple. They will play 50% better because the best team is coming to town. Mind you, I still think we will beat them.
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Agree with everything Red said above.
Plus, as many others have said… I also really enjoy watching whingey bollocks cheaty cunts deservedly lose.
Fun times 
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Not our best performance but still managed to win. I was a bit worried first half the ref bites
Into these cheating cunts BS. Game changed after the red card. (Correct decision)
Allison saved us tonight. Our defense were poor. Ox did pretty good.
Can’t wait to smash these cunts at Anfield.
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I didn’t watch flu knocked me for six, will say this you don’t go Ath Madrid and win easy so it never was going to be that way, considering we’ve played 2 games against this lot pre lockdown and could only score 1 shows how improved that is, still conceded in those games.
9/9 and a win on game day 4 qualifies us
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That was a scary one. Many ups to the 3500 brave Reds who ventured into that cobra’s nest!
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Sorry Mo love your goalscoring when it matters but there was only 1 man of the match vote from me tonight.
Alison was immense.
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A. Mad were cunts but they did play well, even after they went one man down, they had chances to win the game but only for world no. 1 Alisson to stop them.
The red card was according to letters of the law, understandably they felt hard done by because they were playing better than us after they went 2-0 down but a red is a red. No disputes. After that the players were more interested to pressure the ref to give us cards for every single thing, that’s one of the worst unsporting cuntish behaviors on field.
We won ugly. Just like the seasons when we win the PL and CL. Just like champions, we find ways to win.
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One of the most stressful match that I’ve watch. Not good for my heart. I didn’t think Atletico’s 1st goal should count. The pen against us could go either way.
Happy with the win. Not satisfied with how we didn’t control the match better, especially with Atletico down to 10 men. We would have been in a lot of trouble if they had the full squad on the pitch.
3 picks:
- Ali: Saved our bacon for dinner consumption later.
- Mo: Stayed cool for the stressful pen.
- Fab: Stabilized the centre of the park. Made at least 1 crucial interception that I could remember.
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