Roundtable: Liverpool 3-0 Southampton
Liverpool went top of the Premier League thanks to a 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday afternoon. Three first-half goals put the Reds in a commanding position and they managed the game well in the second period to secure a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.
To get the reaction of some Reds supporters after the game, I spoke to Paul Croker, Olli Emmerson, Jamie Holme, Keanen Naidoo and Ben Webb.
Here’s what the guys had to say.
Jurgen Klopp made three changes to the side with Roberto Firmino, Xherdan Shaqiri and Joel Matip coming in for Daniel Sturridge, James Milner and Joe Gomez. How did you initially feel when you saw the team news?
Paul: I expected to see one of Gomez or Virgil van Dijk rested, with the four games we’ve got coming up. I was initially a little bit disappointed that Naby Keita was on the bench again but could understand Klopp not wanting to play two new midfielders together, especially with it being a completely new role for Shaqiri. I’m always happy to have Firmino back in the side, he’s my favourite player to watch…especially live. Sturridge will likely start on Wednesday.
Olli: I had a mixed response to the team news. I was looking forward to seeing Shaqiri make his debut but felt it could have been in place of Salah or Mane given the upcoming fixtures. Jordan Henderson in a midfield two isn’t something that’s always worked so that was one that made me slightly uneasy, whilst it seemed a sensible decision to take Joe Gomez out for a rest – doing so against Southampton to save him for Chelsea, Napoli and Manchester City only serves to evidence the remarkable progress he’s made in recent months.
Jamie: Before the game, I expected to see Bobby return as he’s often the catalyst for so much of what is good, about our attacking play and with so many big games this month, it’s important he maintains his rhythm. I was really pleased to see Shaqiri get some well-deserved game time although, I was a little surprised that it wasn’t at the expense of Mané or Salah in the front three. I was interested to see how he would adapt to playing a little deeper. With Southampton’s gameplan being one to sit deep and frustrate, Shaqiri would have a key role in picking up the ball in the half spaces to be creative and try to disrupt the Saints defensive block. The Matip change was the one that worried me. I’m not a fan of changing the back five, especially given the good form that they have been in. When called upon, Matip looks a little fragile and prone to lapses in concentration so on paper it felt like a needless, risky change.
Keanen: I was excited to finally see Shaqiri start a match and he lived up to the expectation. I was doubtful about Joel Matip because, in the past, I felt like he didn’t have the best decision-making process. I didn’t think too much about Firmino coming back in for Sturridge because I think Daniel will play against Chelsea on Wednesday.
Ben: I felt the return of Firmino was to be expected and I was genuinely excited to see Shaqiri get his first start. Matip was one that caught me off guard, I had (wrongly) assumed that VVD and Gomez would play but in hindsight, it was a pleasant reminder of our quality in depth.
What did you make of Klopp’s decision to play Mo Salah as a striker in the first half?
Paul: The first 20 minutes or so, the formation looked a little bit all over the place. It looked like a 4-3-3 sometimes and a 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 at others. I think the idea behind playing Firmino on the left, may have been to give the midfield a bit of extra support, due to Shaqiri not being completely in tune when it comes to pressing/defending yet. Salah up top is always exciting, as he can get through at any point.
Olli: Salah as a striker came as a surprise as it’s a method Klopp uses more against big teams in tactical encounters, rather than as a method of ‘beating the dross’ in the league. It wasn’t something I was opposed to, however, as we saw Salah take up some excellent positions and link well with Firmino. The pair of them moved the ball well in a particular one-two that ended in a brilliant challenge from Cedric as Salah was bearing down on goal.
Jamie: Mo has had an interesting start to the season. In terms of numbers, he isn’t a million miles away from last season’s start but in form, he looks a little rushed, like he is overthinking things or trying too hard. To be honest, if Bobby is fit and playing, he has to be central for me. I get that Mo has looked a little frustrated at teams doubling up on him out wide but just the threat of him being there stretches teams and creates space for the likes of Bobby and Sadio to exploit.
Keanen: I felt like it was needed for him to get into those goalscoring positions because he is bound to score and he needed it for his confidence, so I feel it was just to help him get back to his best.
Ben: It felt quite natural as he regularly drifts into that position. I think we’ll see Mo Salah playing in the striker-role quite often as the season goes on, to be honest, more so against teams that try and sit deep. In fairness, he could’ve scored a few, which shows just how versatile he, and our attackers are, ability-wise and positionally.
Shaqiri was only on for 45 minutes but he had a major impact. What did you make of his performance?
Paul: I thought he was excellent, a proper ball of energy, with lots of intelligent movement and quality. It’s great having a player of his ability and pace to bring into the side. His free-kick was superb and looked like he uses a similar technique to Philippe Coutinho, with plenty of power as well as curl. It definitely made me much more relaxed about the prospect of Salah or Mane being rested in future.
Olli: I was impressed, if not blown away, by Shaqiri’s 45 minutes. He looked lively and desperate to get involved, as you’d expect from a man that’s had to wait patiently for his first start. There were some nice touches and passes, whilst the free-kick to set Salah up was simply sensational. However, I do think people are overhyping his performance slightly in-part because we were so desperate to see him play that everything he dis well was overanalysed. The first goal, for example, it’s personally hard to give him credit as a pretty aimless ball into the box which bounces off two men and into the net, but that’s not stopping the fanbase suggesting he played a vital part in the opener.
Jamie: I’ve been excited by the signing of Shaqiri. He’s a player that backs himself, always wants the ball and can create something out of nothing. Given that teams will come to park the bus at Anfield this season, it was no surprise to me that we went after a player of his type. In preseason, he hit the ground running, not only was he arguably our best player, along with Sturridge and Keita, but his work rate surprised a lot of people. I was delighted to see him get some game time at the weekend. He looked bright in possession, energetic, and he always playing with his head up looking to create. I was a little surprised to see him come off for tactical reasons but once you saw how much the introduction of Milner solidified things, it made a lot more sense. I’m sticking with my early season prediction that he will go on to become a fan favourite at Anfield this season.
Keanen: Shaqiri was fantastic. Definitely deserved to be Man of the Match. He’s very versatile and can play in the number role as well as on the wing. I think he deserves more playing time and can fill Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s shoes while he’s out.
Ben: I thought Shaqiri was exceptional. His work-rate is so industrious; the complete opposite of what we were told to expect. That free-kick, though. That’s his first start, and he’s pulling out free-kicks of that ilk; causing own goals and assisting from set-pieces. His midfield-role has left me assured we have someone that can fill the void left by Oxlade-Chamberlain. Well, that, and basically anywhere in attack. He only played for 45-minutes and I’m this excited about him, that says it all.
Be honest, how sick did you feel when Virgil van Dijk went off injured?
Paul: Sick! When he first sat down, it was a moment of pure panic. All I could think of was the Chelsea, Chelsea, Napoli, Man City run and how typical it would be for us to have him missing!
Olli: Sick to the ribs, as Virgil wouldn’t mind me saying! In all seriousness, it was a huge worry and an even bigger relief when Klopp played down worries post-match. Whilst the other centre-back’s have done well in recent months, Van Dijk is the clear leader of the pack and any prolonged absence for him wouldn’t only lead to a drop off in quality from his standards but it could lead to the other defenders turning back to their former selves.
Jamie: Of all the players to get injured, Virgil is the one you dread the most. He is arguably our most important signing in recent years. He has not only calmed those around him by dominating everything in the air, but he pushes those around him onto new levels. I would worry about the impact losing him would have on our back five as he really is the glue that pulls it all together.
Keanen: My heart sank into my stomach on that one! I feel like he has such a huge impact on the squad and we need him. I am an optimist, however, and Gomez’s improvement gave me some relief but still, I hope Van Dijk is back ASAP!
Ben: Oh mate, I found myself questioning everything about the situation. What? Why? He looks okay. Maybe he’s just got dodgy guts, like? I tried to see reason, whilst frantically flicking through Twitter. Thankfully it was nothing serious and Imodium stocks returned to normal.
The game was over at half-time when the Reds went in with a 3-0 lead. What did you make of the second half performance? It seemed the team/manager decided to save legs for the upcoming games, which is a bit different than last year when they often continued to play at a high pace for 90 minutes even when they’d secured a result.
Paul: I thought the second half was sensible and professional. If a team basically offers you your 3-0 win on a plate at half-time, with the run of fixtures you’ve got coming up, you take it. No need to waste energy and chase extra goals this early on.
Olli: It was an ideal second half for the Liverpool players and manager, even if the mundane pace made it something of a boring experience for the supporters. Still, placed in the context of the Reds’ hectic schedule, fans must admit that a calm 45 minutes, devoid of drama, was just what the doctor ordered to enable Liverpool to keep fresh for the next couple of weeks. With the game won after 30 minutes, I was impressed with the way Klopp’s men controlled possession without exerting themselves too heavily or offering a sniff of a comeback to the Saints.
Jamie: Milner coming on spoke volumes about our intention for the second half, which was to simply see the game out, manage legs, minutes, and to be honest, it worked perfectly. There is a composure and confidence to this Liverpool team that has been absent for quite some time. We now back ourselves to see out those awkward moments in games without conceding, our game management has reached the levels of a genuine title contender. It’s such an important part of the evolution of this team that we can now win, and manage games, without needing to be at full tilt. We are learning quickly and it only bodes well for the future.
Keanen: Second half, we did have a few chances that we didn’t take and we had a goal disallowed for offside. So even when we’re not at full pace, we still created chances. I think we needed to learn to close games down which was difficult in the past as we didn’t have a great defence. With four games in the next two weeks, we needed to ensure we have enough energy to last.
Ben: It was intelligent game management in my opinion. Though not the most enthralling to watch, it was acknowledging the upcoming games, and simply limiting Southampton. We never used to put the brakes on in these type of games, and that was often our downfall. I quite like that we’re diverse and drilled enough to dictate a game, now. There was no need to overexert the players with games of such significance in the near future. I’m more than happy for us score a few and shut up shop, in exchange for a Premier League trophy!