I saw Liverpool do at Wolves something everyone has been talking about - it was missing last season
Liverpool were not at their best at Wolves on Saturday – but it’s always a good sign when you can dig out a victory in those circumstances. In the end I don’t think there could be any arguments over the outcome, but we did make it hard for ourselves.
Not least with our start to the game which, not for the first time this season, was worryingly slow and sluggish. We just weren’t at it for the first 15 to 20 minutes.
Sometimes these things happen, particularly when you’re still adapting to working under a new manager as this squad are with Arne Slot.
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But that has to be a shortcoming Slot addresses quickly because it’s something that will end up proving costly in the long run. Certainly, if you go to places like Manchester City and Arsenal and don’t show up for the first quarter, you could be 2-0 down by that time and out of the game.
Slot already knows this and it’s sure to be a point he puts across. Saturday was the second time already this season he’s had to tell his players at half-time to be more aggressive and stronger in chasing second balls.
To be fair, there was some good stuff at times from Liverpool even if a number of players weren’t quite at their best. But it was interesting that Diogo Jota was involved heavily in both goals and Mohamed Salah scored the winning penalty, given neither had particularly good games overall.
Jota would have been up for it going back to his old club, and even when he’s not playing well he’s the kind of player whose hard work and persistence means he can often make things happen, such as the cross for the opener and being fouled for the spot kick.
He’ll play much better and not score. Indeed, as a striker there have been plenty of times I’ve had a poor match but ended up with a goal or assist and been rated one of the star men.
There’ll be some concern at the mix-up in defence between Ibrahima Konate and Alisson Becker that cost us the equaliser, although there haven’t been a lot of individual errors at the back this season.
Konate, of course, had scored the opener and with both him and Virgil van Dijk giants of men, I would expect them to be more of a threat at set-pieces. With that height advantage, you have to make the most of it.
For me, Van Dijk has been Liverpool’s player of the season so far. He looks fit, is right on top of his game, and I do think he has improved further having been handed the captaincy.
If he wants another contract then the club will surely give it to him if he keeps up this kind of form. He is doing his case no harm at all.
Maybe some people have taken Van Dijk for granted given they know how good he is, but I can assure you that ex-players such as myself don’t do that. We know how much of an influence he has on the squad and the work he has to put in to maintain his high level.
Van Dijk struggled at times after his serious injury, but he is currently rolling back the years and playing like he’s a 25-year-old. Long may it continue.
Title silence suits Reds
Did you know there are only two teams challenging for the Premier League title this season?
At least that’s how it feels given the way people are banging on about Manchester City and Arsenal and not talking about Liverpool as possible contenders.
Yes, we have had an easier fixture list so far. But we’ve had to deal with a new manager and a lot of change behind the scenes, and we’re still top.
That the Reds aren’t being talking about should really act as extra motivation for the players if they believe they can challenge for the title. Given everything they’ve been talking about, it seems they are aiming for the championship.
I like it, actually. For much of the last eight years, Liverpool were always in the conversation and now Arsenal seem to have taken their place without winning anything of note.
It’s putting more pressure on them and easing it on the Reds. We can just crack on doing our job quietly.
Meanwhile, there’s been a lot of talk about the “dark arts” in football given the ongoing fall-out from City’s draw against Arsenal earlier in the month.
But there’s always been a time and a place for that. We called it professionalism back in the day.
There was a little bit of it from Liverpool at Wolves in slowing the game down during the closing stages, and maybe that’s what was missing last season at times.