It would pay a great dividend if we judge the outcome of the Liverpool season with a tad of reality.
The Reds have not played typical Liverpool football, in the most non-typical season in memory, surmounting overwhelming odds to win Premier League matches with 16 different centre-back combinations in the 22 matches played to date.
We’ve have not played badly…all things considered. We all know what kinda mountain our lads-this team and the Boss were gonna face this term, and after all thats transpired thus far, to be where they are is no shabby effort to be sure. And so I say again, the Reds have not played badly.
Liverpool have not played badly
Liverpool have also felt the absence of fans in the stands acutely, more so than any other side in this league I would argue. This 12th man-X factor is difficult to quantify; and it has had a negative effect on the side, as is evidenced by comments from Jurgen Klopp, Pep Lijnders and several players to include the captain Jordan Henderson over these past several months.
The pandemic has had it’s effect on the players, fans and the game generally speaking, case in point the need to move the Leipzig Champions League away tie from Germany to Budapest in Hungry due to covid travel restrictions.
The absence of fans has had the deleterious effect of another ‘injury’ to the team which compounds the very real injury crisis with key players in the defense and midfield in the campaign thus far.
No other side could cope like Liverpool
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Just consider for a moment, if you take the first choice CB’s out of the three sides above us in the table, for the remainder of the campaign and force them to play two midfield first team choice players to cover there; how many really believe City, Manchester United, Leicester could fare better than our lads have done? You would be dreamin if ya thought so
No other side in England could have seen this season through to this point as Liverpool have, had they faced this kind of adversity…no one
We are seeing the cumulative effect of not having Virgil van Dijk. Do you think the players go forward with a whole lot more confidence when you know He is back there covering? The front three have had to defend more in the midfield since Fabs and Hendo have been shanghaied into defence.
This has a vital deleterious effect going forward; confidence wise to this team. This is one of the most important aspects of VVD’s value as a player and leader to this side (and thus the effect of his absence). Player of the year was not just a trophy to be claimed, he is irreplaceable. Period.
And this is bound to have a negative effect. Sooner or later it will catch up to you.
The test then is how you meet that challenge, to play top flight Premier League Liverpool style football! Klopp football! And the lads have given their all in the effort. I defy anyone to claim the three teams above could have done better!
Jurgen Klopp’s football philosophy summed up succinctly a year ago: “we win spectacularly or we lose beautifully.”