Liverpool secured three much-needed points against Ajax to kick-start their Champions League campaign on Tuesday night.
After a “horror show” in Napoli, as Jurgen Klopp and some of his players have described it, the Reds needed to show a reaction here.
they delivered
Here, Jack Sear (@JackSear) of This Is Anfield joins Dave Comerford (@Dave_Comerford) and Adam Beattie (@beatts94) to discuss the main talking points from a positive night at Anfield.
First of all, Adam, you were at the game: impeccable minute of silence, right?
ADÁN: Yes. In some quarters, the reporting on the silence has been predictably grim.
Fortunately, many of the most respected journalists reported the truth, that the vast majority watched it from start to finish, as is always the case at Anfield, but it seems that some had decided pre-emptively and gave versions based on headlines that had already been reported. written.
It will no doubt be used as ammunition for opposing fans to perpetuate the smears that have plagued away wingers at Anfield for decades, the same fans who wonder why so many of us feel disconnected from the national team at the big leagues. tournaments.
That felt like a big win…
DAVE: First of all, it’s a very important result. Liverpool were heading for one point out of a possible six in a tough group, so their chances of progression would have been threatened had it not been for the late winner.
But acting is the real source of encouragement. Had Liverpool pulled off an ugly win, they could simply have papered over the cracks, similar to the game against Newcastle. But they behaved much more as usual, creating copious amounts of chances and, particularly in the second half, controlling the game. For me, the nicest stat of the night, in light of our recent struggles, is that Ajax only managed three shots.
JACK: Much more like it, right? It was all about the changes, for me. I think the four players who made the team were brilliant.
ADAM: Yeah, it felt huge, that. A draw would by no means have been the end of days as far as the group is concerned, but psychologically we had to shake off Napoli and go into the extended break with a bit of momentum.
The performance wasn’t perfect and we didn’t respond particularly well to the equaliser, but there were a lot more positives to cling to and it really felt like the goal was coming, which was more than you could say at Old Trafford, Goodison. and in Naples.
That Thiago performance. Wow!
JACK: It made all the difference, and we knew it would. I think he lived up to his best performances for the club.
Since it hasn’t taken him long to come back from injury, keeping him on for almost 90 minutes probably wasn’t ideal, but needs to be at this point!
It really is a shame that much of his Liverpool career has been plagued by injuries. It looks more important to this side than ever.
ADAM: MOTM was basically a battle for second place, right? Thiago’s ability to come in after injury and completely turn things around without needing time to settle is priceless.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that a big part of our season is about being able to keep him fit and healthy in some way. He was just as impressive defensively as he was on the ball, and I really enjoyed trying to get the crowd going past The Kop after being taken off towards the end. It also worked. The place was bouncing and with good reason.
Aside from him, Kostas Tsimikas obviously stood out, his performance nicely topped off with the winning assist, and Diogo Jota was extremely animated in the first half before looking understandably legless in the second.
DAVE: When I found out that Thiago was probably going to start this game, I felt a lot more confident.
I knew he would lift the team in pretty much every department, and that’s why, in a weird way, I wasn’t even surprised at how well he played yesterday. It is what I expect from him now because I know that he is one of the best in his position in Europe. He is almost like a midfielder equivalent to Virgil van Dijk in that regard.
Beyond Thiago, I would also choose Tsimikas. Andy Robertson’s injury is obviously a blow, but he wasn’t exactly in his best form, and I think we should all have full confidence in Tsimikas to deliver at this point.
There are no Liverpool games until October now. Is rest good?
ADAM A few days ago I would have said yes, but now I’m not so sure.
We have seen in the past how a last minute winner can be the catalyst for an improvement in form, and I left that field last night wanting to go straight to Stamford Bridge.
The reality is that there is still a lot to do to make this team capable of fighting for the big titles, and maybe we will look back on this gap as a turning point, but from a selfish point of view I am not. . pretty sure what I’m going to do with myself for the next 17 days!
JACK: Yes, you are not alone!
The break, at least, gives us the opportunity to get more players back in shape. After last night’s match, Klopp said that one or two could return after the internationals. I guess Andy Robertson is probably one of them, but Caoimhin Kelleher, Ibrahima Konate and Jordan Henderson shouldn’t be far behind either.
DAVE: I think most of us wanted a break after Napoli so that Klopp had time to “reinvent” the team, as he put it. This time, it’s hard to know how to feel about it.
We find ourselves in a strange situation this fall due to extenuating circumstances. No Premier League football for a month, an international break and then a six-week run to the World Cup. It is an unprecedented level of disruption for Klopp and his teammates.
The good news for us is that we can bring positive feelings to the break, instead of having to think about another setback. What we just have to do is make sure this isn’t another false dawn, like the Bournemouth game was.
