“I’ve never seen a game where one team has four or five no-brainers from set pieces where you have to finish it off. How we can’t score from a set piece, I have no idea. We can’t blame anyone for failing to finish the situation. It’s just us. In normal circumstances, we should have won this game.”
Jurgen Klopp resentful for the possibilities LiverpoolThey were left with nothing but free kicks and corners after their recent spirit revival at the City Ground ended in a bitterly disappointing fashion. Virgil van DijkAnd Roberto Firmino were both culpable.
But, focusing on a route to the goal that is typically profitable would be to completely miss the point.
As a result of the lethargic and error-prone performance, which deservedly led to defeat at the hands a struggling team, there was much more than a few misplaced free headers. Nottingham ForestSide that had not won since August
All talk of turning the corner has stopped. After the great high of beating champions Manchester CityThen, dig deep to find the solution West Ham UnitedIt’s almost as though Liverpool have gone back to square 1.
The fact that Klopp’s men were so reliant on set pieces to create chances against such lowly opposition was alarming in itself. Liverpool was also plagued by Forest. This wasn’t some heroic backs-to-the-wall, smash-and-grab raid.
According to Opta, Steve Cooper’s team actually edged it on expected goals (xG), 1.85 to 1.66. Forest created five Opta-defined “big chances” to Liverpool’s four. In terms of the action areas, 23.9 per cent of the contest was played in Forest’s third of the pitch and 22.4 per cent in Liverpool’s third.
Liverpool took possession in the third quarter on just one occasion, beating the home side by four vs 3. These stats were alarmingly close.
Alisson’s brilliance papered over the cracks in midweek. The Brazil international has consistently been Klopp’s standout performer since August and that tells its own story. He was again exceptional. He made a remarkable save during a frenetic final when Liverpool looked as likely to concede a second goal as it did to equalize. Ryan Yates. Also, there was a goal-saving stop James Milner.
Van Dijk missed a great chance late on. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby/AFP via Getty Images).
Alisson was disappointed by his teammates not for the first season. Joe Gomez’s careless mistake led to Forest having something to hold on to as former Liverpool striker Taiwo AwoniyiConverted in the second period.
Before and after the goal, Klopp’s men dominated possession. They had 75 per cent of it and completed 681 passes to Forest’s 224. They didn’t do very much with it. They were too slow and predictable in moving the ball around the pitch, before one of the full backs delivered the ball.
With Forest digging so deeply and packing the central areas, there was no shortage of space. But where was creativity, the guile, and the spark? What was the gap between class and society?
You can’t ignore the impact of a third game in a week and the enforced changes that further depleted the squad. After Darwin NunezKlopp was forced to cancel the match due to a tight hamstring. Thiago suffered an ear infection that required hospital treatment. This duo will be deeply missed.
The central midfield combination FabinhoAnd Curtis Jones didn’t work. The Liverpool out-of-sorts Brazilian is now facing the most challenging period of his Liverpool career. His energy and influence on games are nowhere near his previous levels, while Jones couldn’t deliver in an unaccustomed role after being handed his first start since May as Thiago’s replacement.
Jones Harvey ElliottAnd Fabio CarvalhoIt was the first time Liverpool had named three players under 21 in their top-flight fixture line-up since 2018. Elliott carried the fight as much as anyone and could hold his head high — he was heavily involved in the little they did create from open play.
Captains are now available Jordan Henderson for Carvalho with Jones shifted out to the left provided an injection of experience, but they didn’t look any more threatening.
“The most difficult thing in football is to play against a deep defending side. We were lacking runs in behind and vision in the centre,” Klopp admitted.
“Curtis did really well but he’s not used to the position. He can play there but he wasn’t even in my thoughts to start. It was all last night with Thiago. He did really well but we didn’t create that much.
“Set pieces count, we can score from them. We forced them and believe me, they didn’t want to be defending set pieces against us. In the end, we couldn’t use it, and that’s our fault. Their keeper made two good saves but the others were better chances when we just missed the goal.”
This sale is unreal! 🤤
The 92nd minutes, Liverpool are under increasing pressure. Dean Henderson does this in order to deny Virgil van Dijk.
Take a bow👏 pic.twitter.com/Pz5doHlfZA
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 22, 2022
Luis Diaz injuries Diogo Jota have certainly dented Klopp’s array of firepower but you have to question the wisdom of allowing Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino to leave after last season.
The bench was unbelievably bare against Forest — two goalkeepers, two academy rookies and the fifth-choice centre-back among the nine substitutes. Alex Oxlade ChamberlainAfter three months of being out, he looked uncharacteristically rusty upon his return.
Thiago’s absence was keenly felt. It was a match that required Thiago to be able to see through packed defences and pick holes. But, this in itself shows how foolish it would be to rely so heavily on someone who is so far away from football.
Liverpool was desperate for a top midfielder last year. Instead they chose to restrain themselves until a string of injuries spurred a change of heart shortly before the deadline.
Arthur Melo signed on loan from Juventus was a cheap option but now they’re counting the cost given he wasn’t match fit and in his attempts to get up to speed he suffered a thigh injury which will keep him out until the New Year. There’s a lesson there for the club’s owners to learn.
Liverpool took two points out of a possible 15. Premier League. They haven’t led for a single minute across those five matches. They have now lost more league matches this season than in 2021-22.
Nunez, Thiago Ibrahima Konate should all come back into contention for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Ajax, when a draw would secure Liverpool’s passage to the knockout stages.
It’s not all doom and gloom but what was served up at the City Ground was unacceptable. It is more than just being clinical in set pieces.
(Top Photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
