You don’t have to be a nuclear engineer to realize that last week was not a fun time for Liverpool Football Club. A stunning and disappointing draw with Luton Town was followed by a middling performance in the Europa League away to Toulouse that saw the Reds suffer their first loss in the group stage. A much cleaner performance on Sunday against Brentford showed a resilience that was needed in the side.
At first glance, a 3-0 victory in the Premier League over the Bee’s might not be one to boast to your friends about at the pub.
However, seeing what preceded that match last week and you’d be hard-pressed to fault Liverpool fans for soaking it all up. It was one of the few carefree days that Reds fans have gotten to enjoy.
Even in victory throughout this season, Liverpool have needed to show varying forms of resilience to overcome obstacles. The wins against Newcastle and Bournemouth in the League come to mind right away.
When big time clubs are struggling they need their stars to step up and right the ship.
Well, I believe Mohamed Salah got the memo as his two goals capped yet another brilliant performance from the Reds No. 11.
This match was especially important as it was the final fixture before another International break. When the club lads return? Manchester City is on the docket.
Those three points in the bank were not only ideal for the table but for the psyche of the players. I’m not saying things were falling apart. But, injuries were mounting and the results were trending in a bad way.
This season has shown no club is immune to rough patches as the likes of Arsenal, City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea can all attest.
The manner in which Liverpool bounced back speaks to the ever present resilience that Jurgen Klopp inspires into his teams. He is one of the best player-managers in the world and weeks like the club had last week call for that kind of skillset.
Going forward, the squad will only be stronger and the coaching staff will undoubtedly make sure they learned something from it.
Resilience. Perseverance. Guts. Or just the nature of football, whatever you want to call it, the Reds needed a strong showing to send a message. Consider it sent express.