Liverpool Unbelievably Lose to Southampton

Liverpool came into their league match against Southampton with plenty of momentum.  Perhaps it is true that none of it had come from league matches, but one would have thought the team was flying high by advancing in the Europa League over their old rivals, Manchester United.  The team did come out flying but their wings ended up clipped in the end.

Liverpool was not doing anything with their own possession for the first quarter hour.  Southampton was creating a bit more in the way of problems.  Though he defended well overall, there was a question of whether or not Dejan Lovren gave up a penalty early in the contest.  Ultimately no pen was given and play resumed.

Then in the 13th minute, Lovren was called upon to get a block in on a tight quarters chance for the men in stripes.

The Reds did not cover themselves in glory with their early chances.  Divock Origi hit Daniel Sturridge with a shot that might have had a good chance at scoring in the 16th minute, but only moments later Coutinho would not be denied.

Fed the ball near the left sideline, Coutinho took on one defender and then cut the ball back toward the center of the pitch.  Still a good 25 or more yards from goal, he whipped his right foot around it and banged one off the post and into the net.

No doubt there will be those that claim the keeper should have stopped it.  However, on viewing the replay not only was it a superb placement of the shot, but the defenders in front kind of waved their foot at the ball, which would throw off any goalkeeper.

The offensive floodgates opened a little bit due to Southampton having to push.  Origi created again by taking on defenders with speed and then instead of shooting he left it off in the box for Sturridge.  Sturridge, clearly cognizant of his terrible right footed miss in the midweek game, wanted to keep it on his left.  He did a quick little dance move that might land him a spot on Dancing with the Stars and when the defender moved just enough he sliced his left foot through the ball and into the far netting.

Liverpool should have taken a 3-0 lead in the 26th minute, but Joe Allen could not finish it off.  Give credit to the goalkeeper who made a good reaction save with the kick, but Allen was forced too close to the keeper with the pass, which allowed the keeper to cut off the angle.

Allen thought he got his just desserts in the 33rd minute.  The Welshman somewhat scuffed the ball on the shot following the corner but it found it's way through all the bodies and into the net.  Unfortunately, the linesman raised his flag late and deemed Sakho to have been offside and in a spot that interfered with the goalkeeper.

Everything seemed to be going the Reds' way.  They had won the possession battle at the half, shots, shots on target and even corners.  It was all about to come crashing down though.

In the 49th minute, halftime sub, Martin Skrtel was called for holding onto the attacker's arm and a penalty was given.  Simon Mignolet saved the shot, but the reprieve was short lived.  In the 64th minute, Southampton made Liverpool pay for a careless turnover in midfield.  The Saints charged up field, slid a pass through to Mane who ripped it past Mignolet.

Southampton knotted the game up with a cracking strike from Graziano Pelle in the 83rd minute.  The Saints again capitalized on the suddenly shaky Liverpool defending who failed to clear the initial ball in.

Then the defense just fell apart.  They almost gave the ball away with a weak pass from Can, gave a poor pass back to Mignolet who flubbed the clearance and then Skrtel whiffed on the head ball.  Southampton then finished off the comeback with an 86th minute goal by Mane.

It was an embarassing defeat both due to the defending and the lack of finishing that the Reds were made to rue.  So many chances were wasted, but it seemed insignificant given the 2-0 lead.
Origi shot too close to the goalkeeper, going near post in the 51st resulting in an easy save.  In the 59th minute, Adam Lallana's pass to Emre Can was just deflected enough to get it away from Can's foot for the finish.  Then the maligned Christian Benteke sliced one across the face of goal but wide in the 73rd.

Combine those with all the misses in the first half as well and you get the result that happened.  Questions will rise from the substitutions, especially putting Skrtel on if there was no injury to Lovren but it falls to the players.  They could have easily won four or five to nothing and instead allowed their opponent to take all the points.

For whatever reason, Liverpool cannot seem to concentrate and see things out in the league.  Now they face the potential embarrassment of being passed up by Chelsea, who are only three points back of the Reds despite their own woeful start to the season.

Now Liverpool must face Tottenham, a team with title aspirations, at Anfield on April 2.  Thank goodness it's not on the 1st because Liverpool have played like an April Fool's joke enough as it is.

Random Thoughts:

- Skrtel was just awful.  Given the circumstances of being up 2-0 I suppose I get the idea behind the change.  Skrtel had been out injured so give him 45 minutes with not much pressure.  It completely backfired though.  The centerback was either to blame entirely or at least played a part in two of the goals given up and almost conceded a penalty goal as well.  If this is the way he is going to play - he has made a habit of clutching and grabbing and getting away with it - then personally I'm more than happy to ship him off and take my chances with Lovren.

- Thank goodness I'm not the one getting paid to figure this team out because I can't.  I know Southampton are having a decent season, but how in the world Liverpool can take down teams like United and City and play well against Arsenal etc and then butcher a game they had in hand is just unbelievable.

- My old buddy Adam Lallana disappeared again.  Yes, he had a few good passes in the attacking end but he's just an enigma to me.  If he has the talent to dominate matches like he did a few weeks ago, it boggles the mind that he can be a non-factor so much of the time.

Walk On

Liverpool Do Just Enough To Send United Home Crying

Liverpool against Manchester United.  It rarely matters if there's any stakes.  It's one of the most heated rivalries in the game and always has importance to the supporters, if not the footballing world.

Putting something on the line such as advancing in the Europa League and keeping a Champions League spot alive just adds that extra pepper to an already spicy chili.  This rivalry did not disappoint and produced some entertaining games despite the lack of those very things for both clubs in their league play.

Liverpool dominated at home and won by a reasonably decisive 2-0 score.  United manager, Louis Van Gaal saw it differently, calling each of Liverpool's goals cheap and complaining about officiating.  The Dutchman also saw fit to calmly state his club was looking to tie up the two leg affair but could easily score four, as though they score goals for fun with regularity.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the Red Devils got the momentum of the first goal of the game.  Nathaniel Clyne went for a clumsy challenge in the box and took down Martial, who eventually scored the penalty.

Instead of panicking, Liverpool calmly retaliated.  While United still pushed the ball forward as any team will in any game where there is a bit of ebb and flow, Liverpool had the better of the chances.

Daniel Sturridge banged a beautiful curler off the crossbar on a free kick, but the goal that followed was a real gem.  On the literal last kick before the halftime whistle, Coutinho slipped the tip of the knife between the ribs of United.

The Brazilian took the ball up the wing and cut into the box.  He then got all the way toward the post and just flipped it over the sliding David De Gea, who could do nothing but watch it slide past his ear and into the net.

Liverpool didn't cover themselves in glory, but they did well enough in all aspects.  They defended well, with Sakho doing a very good job in the center.  Offensively, well the second half wasn't quite what it should have been but once that away goal came you somewhat expected that.

The Reds, wearing black in actuality, should have put the game away in the 62nd minute.  Coutinho sliced his way through several defenders and then put the ball wide to Sturridge.  The talented forward further proved what most already knew, in that he has no right foot, by skying a shot 10 yards away from target from in close.

Liverpool also messed up a great chance to close it out in the 75th minute.  Emre Can outraced the defender and smartly laid it back, even though he could have shot.  Coutinho then tried a fake to get around the defender only to shoot it right at De Gea.  As well as he looked on his goal, one expected him to bury that chance too.

Only minutes later Coutinho almost made up for the weak shot by blasting one on target that De Gea got a hand on to push it over the bar.  It seemed destined for Liverpool to create but not finish.
Bastian Schweinsteiger could easily have been given a red for a challenge from behind just outside the box in the 80th minute.  Again though, Liverpool failed to score as Coutinho whipped one well over the goal.

Liverpool kept creating but De Gea was up to the challenge each time except for the one goal.  He stopped Origi twice with only moments to go in the game.  The one goal would last though as United could not pierce the Liverpool defense.

It was a matchup of two English giants who have fallen in recent years, but to each club's supporters it still meant the world.  Liverpool get the bragging rights and United suffers the indignity of crashing out of Europe completely at home at the hands of Liverpool.

Random Thoughts:

- The goal by Liverpool brought up odd feelings.  It was a fantastic cheeky finish and as a fan it got me off my seat.  As a keeper, I've had that feeling that De Gea had.  You think you have the shooter cut off and he has no angle only for it to sneak just by you.

- From a "normal" line of thinking, I was surprised that Jurgen Klopp made offensive for offensive substitutes by putting Origi and Benteke on for Sturridge and Coutinho.  Only Allen was a defensive sub, but still similar in position to Jordan Henderson.  However, seeing Juventus watch their lead evaporate by making defensive subs, I'm glad Klopp knows more about who to put on compared to conventional thinkers.

- I missed the last couple games due to covering basketball tournaments.  In honesty, I was worried I should not have come back when United scored that first goal.  Thankfully I'm still allowed to watch games since Liverpool won the two legs.

Walk On