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Liverpool LOSE a Second Match IN A ROW?!?! - Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool Post-Match Reaction
30 Plays2 days ago
Louie Easton, Jesse Sarwar, and Tom Goward review another dull performance from the reds - this time in Istanbul.
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Transcript
Post-Match Reactions on Liverpool's Performance
00:00:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, you're listening to the Daily Liverpool podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. And this is our post-match reaction um to one of the worst Liverpool performances, maybe even the worst Liverpool performance I've ever seen under on the honour slot. Joining me ah to talk all about that is Tom Goward and Jesse Sawa. Um...
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, Jesse, I'll come to you first, because when I say the worst on a slot performance, as you think of the Plymouth match last season, when that, i mean, we were playing our youngsters, but from s ah senior starting 11 point of view, this has got to be right up there with one of the worst performances we've seen from this Liverpool team, surely.
00:01:02
Jesse
Yeah, it's going to be right up there. um I think from start to finish, it was just such a such a flat performance.
00:01:13
Jesse
They never, ever, at any stage, looked like they were going to put something together. Even those last few minutes, it was pretty unconvincing.
00:01:24
Jesse
You kind of launching the box ball into the box and even the penalty. I mean, I was... as soon as I saw the VAR, the check, I knew that was not going to be given.
00:01:36
Jesse
And rightly so, you know, we we can't expect to get bailed out, um you know, every game with these kind of last minute penalties or, you know, one bit of magic.
00:01:50
Jesse
I just thought that, We'll go obviously into more detail um throughout this episode, but I just think the the main thing that I think that Arnie Slott has to address is the tempo of our game, because that's the thing I think that's causing us problems in and out of possession.
00:02:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Tom, I'll come to you in just a second, but I just wanted to talk more about that point
Midfield Struggles and Tactical Concerns
00:02:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
of tempo. I think there's a lot more than just the tempo. I mean, you can put the Galatasaray factor down, obviously, in my intimidating crowd. I know we get them at Anfield and yeah, everything like that. But, you know, dodgy pitch and all of these other factors that do contribute. I'm not just putting it down to the conditions, but Lack of midfield presence as well is definitely something um that we've been sort of missing Sobosla that number 10 role, who's been probably our best player of the season like over the course of all the matches. And we didn't give him a lot of credit for his performances in the number 10 role last season, but he just seemed to be everywhere in that role where he did all of the work holding up the play
00:03:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
and just being very physical. um So I think that has to be a factor of some sort. um Tom, with this performance in particular, just a bit of an open question, where did it all go wrong?
00:03:24
Tom Goward
think Liverpool have been Liverpooled the last two games, right? They've gone to Palace and conceded late, which is we've been scoring late on. And then they've gone to a place tonight known for its hostile atmosphere.
00:03:38
Tom Goward
bit like Anfield, you know, everyone probably dreads coming to Anfield. And they couldn't play. They could not play. Those fans were incredible. I would love to have been in that stadium tonight just to hear them. But they Liverpool have been outdone by two teams who...
00:03:53
Tom Goward
um what Liverpool do to them, or what Liverpool have done to teams. um And just your quick point on tempo. I think you're right, Jesse. like The tempo does have to go up. And and then when the bold when it hits 91 minutes on the clock, they're all scrambling to throw the ball forward to try and score.
00:04:12
Tom Goward
Do that from minute zero. Do that from the kick-off. why Why are you trying to do that in the 91st minute of the game? um ah just don't I just don't get it. I mean, the the list goes on. And, you know, it was a poor performance from Liverpool tonight.
00:04:29
Tom Goward
But, and let's just not remember, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't, this if result doesn't affect our Champions League, right? we can You can probably lose one or two and we'll be up there, right? But we haven't played well since we beat Spurs 5-1 to win the league.
00:04:44
Tom Goward
We haven't. we we did We played poor for the rest of the season.
00:04:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I agree.
00:04:48
Tom Goward
And then, you know We haven't started the season well.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah agree
00:04:52
Tom Goward
Let's be honest. We've scored late goals to win games, but we haven't played well. but And then we scraped a win against Southampton last week in the Cup. A poor, poor Southampton side.
00:05:03
Tom Goward
We then got beat by Palace, who have already beaten us once this season in the Shield, and we've got them again in the next round of the Cup. So we're probably out of the Cup. And then we've gone away to Galatasaray tonight, who who got beat 5-1 by Frankfurt in the game week one.
00:05:17
Tom Goward
So... we We have not played well since that five one Since that McAllister goal, really, when he so many took the roof off. Liverpool have not played good football. and they've gone and And to add to that, they've gone and spent £400 million pounds in the summer.
00:05:33
Tom Goward
And with two guys, and let's give them a lot of time, right? But what the hell did Izak do tonight when he came on the like did he Did he see the ball? i like He had that shot when he came on.
00:05:44
Tom Goward
think Virts looks scared. like He doesn't want to pass the ball. doesn't want to shoot. He doesn't want to create anything. He just passes it back to Jones or Graham and Virts and then he you know gets his pass rate up. i mean i won't wrap I mean, the list can go on with... Not the performance tonight. this you know That was bad.
00:06:01
Tom Goward
But let's just this has been building and building. And now the last two game weeks... Sorry, the last two matches against Palace and tonight have... Liverpool have been exposed, ah finally.
00:06:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I,
00:06:12
Tom Goward
And...
00:06:12
Jesse
ah Tom's right there in the sense that this goes back to last season. And this is why i my contention, I'm sticking to this, that the fundamental problem, of course, there are other issues.
00:06:23
Jesse
There are other issues, you know, players, you know, Louis mentioned, you know, Sir Bosley in that number 10 position. I'm not dismissing any of those points. But for me, the fundamental problem goes back to last season. i And I said this on the podcast quite a few times, even though we were winning.
00:06:42
Jesse
I said that my big concern was the tempo of our game because that is the only radical departure from the Klopp era. The Klopp era is um it's it's known for its high intensity, high pressing, and when we attack...
00:07:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:07:03
Jesse
I mean, we just go for the jugular for that first 10, 15, 20 minutes and just blow teams away. I think under slot, and ah we we can't criticise him that much because obviously we've been successful. However, i think it is it it's time to start looking at that major part of the kind of equation that we're just too slow in possession.
00:07:27
Jesse
And what that does then is for fatigue for teams like Galatasaray, who I've got to say, You know, Tom was right about the crowd, but Galatasaray were fantastic. They were fantastic out of possession.
00:07:39
Jesse
But what we did is that we're we're giving teams um kind of an incentive to go for us because we're so slow on the ball.
00:07:50
Jesse
We're not pinging the ball around and putting the opposition under pressure.
00:07:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, the thing that I'll say about Slott, and this may come as a bit of a sort of harsh ah thing to say, but I honestly think he has been getting away with a lot at Liverpool because we won the league.
00:08:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's not forget last season. Man City had a complete fall off. If this was the Klopp era, Slott wouldn't have got close to winning the league. We were a bit fortunate with the timing of last season and Arsenal just weren't a threat at all.
00:08:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think the fact that we only allowed a sort of small drop off in points and quality from the season before kind of...
Narrow Wins and Tactics under Arna Slott
00:08:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
helped us win the league in a big way.
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But let's not forget, we lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle. We were knocked out of the FA Cup by Plymouth. And in the Champions League, we were a bit unfortunate to go out against PSG. We won't talk about the Champions League too much last season. But this season...
00:08:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've just been winning matches by the skin of our teeth. And I think the time has come now where we've run out of a bit of fortune. This new team hasn't really gelled. It's a new team.
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And now we kind of have to start asking questions about Arna Slott's tactics because... This season, I don't think we've actually had a good 90 minutes, like all season. The closest was Arsenal and Bakayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were both out injured. I know Odegaard came on in the second half.
00:09:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But we won that match by the skin of our teeth with one of the best goals I've ever seen. fair enough but if you actually look at our performances for 90 minutes i'm not seeing ah team that wants to go for the quadruple which is what we are favorites to win in a lot of competitions this season so i i'm going to ask the question now does anna slot need to change something and does he need to change it fast tom
00:10:02
Tom Goward
thing is I don't even need I don't even need to change much right because the tactics that he did in Stoole last year did win us the league I know what you say about teams falling off and the timing I totally get all that but something is not working right and and it might just be down to the new players coming in and and I'm all for giving people time right I still think United should give Ameren time as funny as it is but I
00:10:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
you say You say something about the new players coming in, but look at Salah this season.
00:10:31
Tom Goward
Yeah, well, was he was he was he just playing but was he just playing for the contract last year?
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's been at the club for one he's one of our longest servants.
00:10:37
Tom Goward
He played well.
00:10:39
Jesse
No, don'tt yeah I don't think you can say that.
00:10:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I disagree.
00:10:42
Jesse
I think i think for for for someone who's, you know, been as loyal as Salah for so long and has performed for for so long, I don't think he's playing completely for contract.
00:10:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
If he was playing for the money he would have gone to Saudi Arabia.
00:10:56
Jesse
Yeah, right. But I do think that... ah just and And tactically, I don't think I agree with Tom. He doesn't have to change a lot. There isn't anything kind of radical that he's got to change.
00:11:10
Jesse
There is, i think, you can't underplay the player turnover. We've got two new fullbacks. um You know, the the midfield has changed.
00:11:23
Jesse
Most of the forward line has changed. So we we do have to give them that that, that this is almost like a work in progress. But, you know, with without wanting sound like I'm harping on to the same point, but I just can't get away from that fundamental issue, is that if if you're going to play so slowly, so slowly,
00:11:46
Jesse
I just don't know how you're going to make those quick transitions, make those moves that that catch the opposition off guard if you're so ponderous in possession.
Possession Issues and Recruitment Strategy
00:12:01
Jesse
And even even if if you look at the the number of occasions where we got dispossessed and we gave the ball away in possession, and that was because when our players were dilly-dallying on the ball,
00:12:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:14
Jesse
They were spending too long in possession as opposed to just pinging the ball in triangles, trying to make space, trying to create space through the lines.
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:24
Jesse
but But there was too many passes sideways, inevitably inevitably going back to the goalkeeper. And it just caused us so many problems.
00:12:33
Tom Goward
ah I just want to say, sorry, I just want to say on those, you losing the ball, it's also cost us two injuries tonight in Alisson and Eketike, right?
00:12:40
Jesse
you know Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:12:41
Tom Goward
Sloppy passes has caused Alisson to go off and whatever that issue is, i don't know quite know. But the fact that the he had to make that safe because of a sloppy pass from Liverpool and the same of Eketike, you had to stretch that ball and it's cost us two injuries tonight.
00:12:51
Jesse
you
00:12:55
Tom Goward
You know, touch wood, let's hope they're not bad.
00:12:56
Jesse
And that's another thing. We've got players who are just, you know, we've got some players like Canate. I mean, he's just having one bad game after another.
00:13:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:13:09
Jesse
His distribution is absolutely, I mean, his distribution was never one of his strong points, but he's just it's just not performing. And it's putting the rest of the defence under pressure.
00:13:17
Tom Goward
can i not just ah Can I just ask questions for both of you? The six players we signed this summer, right, the two full-backs, Eketike, Izak, Verts, and the goalie, right?
00:13:32
Tom Goward
I'm not missing. Am I missing anyone? No, that's everyone.
00:13:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Kirk has...
00:13:35
Tom Goward
Do you think that Frenpon Kerkhez, Izak, Eketike, Verts, and the keeper,
00:13:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Frimpong...
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, yeah, go on, ask your question.
00:13:42
Tom Goward
Do you think at the start of the summer, Liverpool set out to buy those, forget the keeper, those five players? Or do you think those players were presented to Liverpool with the opportunity and they threw a lot of cash at them?
00:13:55
Tom Goward
Because I, because did we just, and I know it's early, i know it's early and I don't want to judge, but did we just go and get Kirkhead because he was the best left back in the league last year and was presented to an offer?
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:59
Jesse
The full box.
00:14:08
Tom Goward
Same with Frimpong. but Was, was,
00:14:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:14:10
Tom Goward
Did Liverpool set out to buy Verts at the start of the summer, or was he offered to them for 100 million plus add-ons and they took it?
00:14:14
Jesse
must No, I think you've you've got to, i think that the Liverpool recruitment team have got a pretty decent reputation in terms of forward planning, forward thinking.
00:14:24
Tom Goward
Yeah.
00:14:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:28
Jesse
They'll have a list. is i'm um No doubt that, you know, Verz wasn't the only player, but he would have been on that list of players where they think, okay, if he becomes available at a certain price, then we're goingnna we're going to go for him.
00:14:41
Jesse
um I'm not sure that we've got these kind of first choice, second choice.
00:14:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:14:45
Jesse
It's just, look, if this player becomes available and we've got an opportunity, like Eketike, I think that he was one of those players that Liverpool wanted to sign. And if he became available, then theyd they'd go and get him.
00:14:57
Jesse
But I think this season is a unique season in kind of transition sense. I don't think we're going to have too many summers like this moving forward.
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
but we've But we've been in transition for about three years. You know, Klopp's last season it was a transitional season. Last season was a transitional season. We just happened to win the league. And now we've got ourselves this money to be able to go and spend.
00:15:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, football clubs are permanently in transition. It's just we're moving out of that Klopp era where so many players have stuck around. And... You know, we keep on making excuses for these for this whole, well, we've got new players. we usually Most football teams have new players every single season, so I don't want to keep on using that excuse.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
We just didn't sign everyone last summer, Bar Chiesa. um So I'm not having it, but going back onto your point, Jesse, of playing slowly... I don't get why we do that either, because we've got so much pace going forward. You know, Gakpo, Wurtz's unbelievable would transition. Frimpong is just so fast down that right-hand side. Ekotike and Isak so good at running in behind and finding themselves in the right areas.
00:16:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
my headache is that we don't play on the counter more and more urgently.
00:16:12
Jesse
Mm-hmm.
00:16:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
We like to just force ourselves out to the fullbacks on the right-hand side or and the left-hand side, just finding ourselves surrounded, trapped, and then going backwards. And then you've got these forward players who are just waiting for the ball to come to the more match.
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Verts hardly gets any touches. Isak, as you mentioned earlier, Tom, barely gets any touches. It's just... Something really needs to change with this Arna Slott team, with these tactics.
00:16:41
Jesse
And I don't think that takes a lot. I don't think ah upping the tempo takes a lot. These these are world-class players. The likes of Gravenberg, McAllister, Sabozlay, Vietz.
00:16:54
Jesse
If you said to them, right, quicker quick quicker pace. And when I mean quicker pace, I'm not talking in terms of running, but just the the the way that they're passing to each other. They're more than capable of doing that.
00:17:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:06
Jesse
More than capable of doing that.
00:17:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the thing is, we often see ah in transitional play, we'll always see Gravenberg just on his own doing all this work. You'll see a massive, massive gap in between the one midfielder and midfield while the other one's gone to the wing to help out whoever...
00:17:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whichever fullback inevitably gets the ball. And then it will just be the strikers waiting for the ball. So I think there is something in the setup there where if you have two holding midfielders who can play as a pivot, as is traditional with this formation, then we'll be able to eradicate that. And I think that's that's how we played so much of last season. and um The only difference being that Witts is a slightly different attacking midfielder to Soboslai.
00:17:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and that And that's it. you know And that's what we need to focus on going forward so we don't have any of these leaving it late matches again and again and again. and I'm sick of watching it as a Liverpool fan when we've got this much talent and we're completely wasting it on stupid, useless tactics. um We'll talk more about... Sorry, I know went on a rant there, but I'm sick of this week in, week out with We've lost our identity as a club, spending loads on players that fail. That's Man United. That's not us.
00:18:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um We'll talk more about the match in detail up next. But first, it's just time to find out who you can start podcasting with today.
00:19:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so talking about this match, I think the only place we can start is with their penalty.
Referee Decisions and Game Management
00:19:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it was bit of 50-50, my Jesse.
00:19:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was just a catch of the right arm on the face of, um was it Gilmaz, I think, who was running in behind.
00:19:28
Jesse
course.
00:19:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and he goes down like a ton of bricks.
00:19:36
Jesse
so
00:19:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
what What do you think? Because I feel like if it's VAR, it wouldn't have overturned it either way.
00:19:43
Jesse
Yeah. I mean, look, this is linked to the referee and and I've got to say that the first thing I saw but that I said, I was watching the the game with some friends and family.
00:19:55
Jesse
The first thing I said was i I saw who the referee was in the tunnel and I just said, oh my God, because this referee, I can't tell you what I think of this referee.
00:20:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Leandro Trossard's doppelganger.
00:20:09
Jesse
Yeah. Right. um And I just knew the kind of game this was going to be, which was if you sneeze anywhere near the referee, he's going to give it he's going to stop the game and bring on the trainer, bring on the, you know, whatever, and it's going be a free kick.
00:20:26
Jesse
And look, does he catch him in the face? Yes, he does. He's not even looking. It's just he's he's trying to um remain in balance.
00:20:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a natural arm position, isn't it?
00:20:39
Jesse
yeah And he just catches him. It's not an elbow. It's not a punch in the face. And how the referee can give that as ah as a penalty is just... um But yeah did it surprise me? No, it didn't surprise me in the least.
00:20:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Tom, on the flip side of that, um obviously we're looking that at that as Liverpool fans, victims of this penalty, which ended up being the ah being the difference between the two sides. But do you think that's biased that we're Liverpool fans or do you think that as ah just in football in general, that's not a penalty?
00:21:20
Tom Goward
ah just The way the game's gone now, if he doesn't go to the floor, he doesn't win a penalty, right? And so from a player's point of view, from his point of view, Yilmaz, he has to go to the floor because he's got to try for the penalty.
00:21:26
Jesse
Yeah.
00:21:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:32
Tom Goward
Now look, if he doesn't get the penalty, they might go to VAR and they go, look, it was not enough contact, whatever, on on and in a different universe. But if he if he tried to play on them and win the ball, and let's say he blasts a shot over or whatever,
00:21:45
Tom Goward
That would never... but No penalty share would ever got looked at. And that's the way the game has gone now. If you don't go to the floor... I was watching... I can't remember who i was watching. One of the Premier League players of the weekend.
00:21:56
Tom Goward
I can't remember. It said, if you don't throw yourself to the floor now, you don't get awarded a free kick or a penalty. And everything tonight that referee... And then let's just put the performance ah aside, because that was where Liverpool went wrong tonight, not the ref.
00:22:11
Tom Goward
But he... He did not play advantage once. He stopped for everything.
00:22:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:22:18
Tom Goward
He, you know, maybe got hit on the face and that's a penalty, but Kanate went down with a head injury and he played on.
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:22:25
Tom Goward
i Like you said, Jesse, if you sneeze near him, he was bringing the physios on. One he Galatasaray player tripped and said kicked his back of his calf.
00:22:35
Tom Goward
He gave a free kick to them. The Liverpool players... And then Curtis Jones loses it, quite frankly, you know, quite rightly. And he books him. You just cannot... How is a player... You cannot tackle anymore without it being a foul, a yellow card.
00:22:51
Tom Goward
was listening to um radio today, Five Live, and they were saying that... has They were talking about Kieran Drewsby-Hall, who's on five yellows in six games away and has got suspension.
00:23:04
Tom Goward
And talking about where yellow should be branded, right? And it should be to caution you for a cynical foul or you've said something to the ref. You know, you might have sworn at the ref or abused the ref or whatever.
00:23:15
Tom Goward
But, you know, we're giving out yellow cards now for taking free kicks early.
00:23:18
Jesse
Yeah, for nothing.
00:23:19
Tom Goward
We're, you know, we're giving out yellow cards because the player's angry.
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think Galatasaray played dirty, Tom?
00:23:23
Tom Goward
Pardon me.
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think Galatasaray played dirty?
00:23:28
Tom Goward
They played the game. They played the Champions League game in their hostile ground. They played the game. They played well. I thought Gundogan is 35, I think they said, next month and ran his socks off, I think.
00:23:39
Tom Goward
Fair play to him.
00:23:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nothing about the two Galatasaray players going down at the end at the same time holding their legs.
00:23:45
Tom Goward
Well, I was just going to get onto that because he then, the referee then pointed and said he stopped his watch, which you think he'd pay at least another, at least another 30 to it a minute at least.
00:23:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I agree.
00:23:55
Tom Goward
He paid 11 seconds after the eight minutes. So, so they weren't down for 11 seconds, were they? They were not down for 11 seconds. Plus the other stoppages for throw-ins and free kicks and all of that.
00:24:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no chance.
00:24:02
Jesse
But this is the...
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's a minimum of eight minutes as well. You have complete liberty to add time on, and he just didn't.
00:24:10
Tom Goward
Exactly. And, and also just, just one more, sorry,
00:24:11
Jesse
But this is why the... Yeah, sorry. Yeah. sorry
00:24:15
Tom Goward
Just one more quick thing as well. And what's embarrassing for Liverpool tonight I think they said on TV that Galatasaray haven't won at home in the Champions League for seven years.
00:24:22
Jesse
yeah
00:24:23
Tom Goward
Tonight, you would think they win every Champions League game the way they played, the way the fans were.
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
wow
00:24:27
Tom Goward
Those fans that were booing at the start, i thought they won't keep us up for 90 minutes. They'll go for about 15, 20 in. That every time Liverpool... And, like, that's what you've got to do, and that's what we do at Anfield. Maybe to not that extent, but we we make teams feel unwelcome.
00:24:42
Tom Goward
And they did that to Liverpool tonight, and Liverpool cracked under the pressure. like I said at the top of the podcast, we've got Liverpool tonight.
00:24:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought that would help us, to be honest. The fact that we play at Anfield at home would mean that we don't really get intimidated by hostile atmospheres.
00:24:52
Tom Goward
Exactly. Exactly.
00:24:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just... Jesse, you were going to say something, sorry.
00:24:57
Jesse
No, I don't think we were intimidated. i don't i don't think we were. But I do think that that's when ah that's why it's important how a referee manages the game because you you signal to the rest of the players you know what you can and what you can't do.
00:25:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:25:15
Jesse
And when you have a referee who literally just blows his whistle at the slightest contact, and it's a physical contact sport, at the slightest contact, then what you're saying to invariably the kind of um lesser of the two teams is, look, if you go down, you're going to get a free kick.
00:25:36
Jesse
If you hold your face, you're going get a free kick. You know, if you go down in the area, nine times out of 10, you're going to get penalty. So he's the one who's responsible for, um I don't really look at the Galatasaray players and think, oh, they were they were cheating or anything like that.
00:25:50
Jesse
But they I think they played, as tent Tom said, they played the game. They played according to how they knew the referee was going to officiate this game. Right.
00:25:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, I'll ask you this now, Jesse, then. Do you think the referee was intimidated by the fans a bit? The fact that they kept on whistling for every time Aussie men hit the floor, for example?
00:26:09
Jesse
No, because I've seen him being a useless referee when there's like four people in the crowd. So I don't think it was down to intimidation.
00:26:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
enough.
00:26:16
Jesse
It was a pure, this is this is his refereeing style. This is why I just, my first words were, oh my God, when I saw him in the tunnel and I just thought, I just knew the kind of game this was going to be.
00:26:28
Jesse
And I was just hoping that we played better game so that we weren't kind of impacted too much by the performance of the referee. um But we were terrible.
Midfield Cohesion and Player Roles
00:26:40
Jesse
I mean, i'm not I'm not sitting here blaming the referee for us losing.
00:26:44
Jesse
We deserve to lose that game. Galatasaray by far with a bet and they deserve to win that game. On and off the pitch, they deserve to win that game.
00:26:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I...
00:26:52
Jesse
But, you know, the the referee was just an absolute... He's the kind of referee I just cannot stand. You know, i'd I'd rather have a referee that lets things go.
00:26:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:03
Jesse
And even if you think, oh, you know what, that should have been a foul. We should have had a foul here. But nine times out of 10, if you let the play go, players will respond. you know, players, will walk they won't go down as easy. They won't hold their face rolling around on the floor.
00:27:16
Jesse
They'll just get on with it. And it's um it's a much better spectacle.
00:27:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I want to talk more about Liverpool's performance and now in midfield, because I did allude to this earlier, that the fact that I don't think the defence were particularly at fault. I don't think the attack were particularly at fault.
00:27:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the midfield, the glue between midfield, sorry, the glue between defence and attack was where we sort of went missing. um Gravenberg and Jones both received a yellow card. I think um was i thought Virts did at the end. He might not have.
00:27:48
Jesse
It did, yeah.
00:27:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But just ah let's let's talk about Gravenberg first, Tom. This he did his best, but I think he just struggled in that ah midfield a bit today. Came off an hour into the match, um didn't really do much. And he's I think he's struggled particularly in these last few matches now.
00:28:10
Tom Goward
Yeah, but we we can't expect him to play well every game. you know This is a guy that when first season on the clock wasn't really playing, right? And then slots turned him around them and created this unbelievable midfielder in him in the in last season and the start of this season. But no he's not going to have a great game every game.
00:28:27
Tom Goward
And I think the whole team weren't great tonight. And I think it's hard to... it's hard to pin it on one person. I'm not saying you're pinning on Gravenberg.
00:28:37
Tom Goward
But I just think with Wurtz now, right, compared to last season, there's that gap where he wants to attack. Last year, you had Gravenberg and McAllister and Zabozai who could attack, but also would defend.
00:28:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:51
Tom Goward
and you're not sitting And you're not seeing that as much from Wurtz because ah you want him forward, right? You don't want him back, you know, sat on the edge of the penalty area. You want him forward, know, pressing or whatever, which but he has done.
00:29:03
Tom Goward
I've seen him chasing down the goalie and the back four, but there's that gap now between Verts and those two midfielders where last year they were a three as a unit, and now it's two and one.
00:29:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:29:14
Tom Goward
And i think that's I think you're right, Louis, I think that's where the problems are coming from. The the the way football's played now is from the back, right? And it never seems to work, but that seems to be the way that every team builds up. We do it, you know, passing around the back to the goalie, to the centre-back, to the right-back, to the And the only way you get through that is going through the middle of the pitch.
00:29:34
Tom Goward
And so when your midfield has gaps, like we see with United over the last two, three seasons where we've seen pictures of the gaps in their midfield, you get exposed because that's the only way the ball goes through the pitch now, is through the middle.
00:29:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:29:50
Tom Goward
You don't see, you know, Van Dijk plays the odd long ball, did it a few times tonight to Frenpong, and they just Beats it back to Sir Bosley right back. Then it goes to Canate.
00:30:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:00
Tom Goward
What's the point playing a 50-yard pass if it's going to come back to Van Dijk 20 seconds left?
00:30:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I completely agree.
00:30:04
Tom Goward
What is the point?
00:30:05
Tom Goward
You risk losing possession by playing a long ball like that in the first place, and then it's just gone back to him anyway. I just ah don't get it. And that they do all of that for 90 minutes, and then it hits the 91st minute, and they've gone, crap, we need a goal now.
00:30:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:18
Tom Goward
And then he'll just throw everyone forward. By that point, Galatasaray got everyone back. The fans are cheering because I think they're a couple minutes away from winning. And just don't... Honestly... i just i just don't i just don't
00:30:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:30
Tom Goward
honestly
00:30:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Jesse, um I know we touched, I know I may have just excused our defense and then I remembered that Milos Kerkhez exists. And to be honest with you, Jesse, I know this is going to sound harsh, but I'm genuinely struggling to work out what he's actually good at.
00:30:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah i ah Have you seen anything promising from him?
00:30:52
Jesse
That is harsh. No, that is harsh.
00:30:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Like, there was that Arsenal match, there was that Burnley match, but other than that, it's just, why are we not playing Robertson still?
00:30:56
Jesse
Yeah.
00:31:01
Jesse
Yeah, look, I get it. i think I think there are certain games. I think Galatasaray away, think that was ideal for Robertson. um You know, his kind of experience.
00:31:14
Jesse
um But, ah you know, would it have made ah huge material difference?
00:31:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it would have. And I'll ah i'll tell you why. i just think Robertson offers a lot more in transition. Kerk has... he He's not press proven as much as Robertson. he hasn't got the same energy, the same drive, the same urgency going forward.
00:31:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
And i think... In a match like this, Robertson's experience is really overlooked. And we're acting like Robertson's nearing the end of his career. He's, what, 31? He's still got a few good years left in him and he takes care of his own body.
00:31:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's got very good fitness. He can go from minute zero to minute 90 easily. why why what What does Kirkes offer us that Robertson doesn't?
00:32:03
Jesse
No, i'm not I'm not writing off ah Robertson. I mean, I was i was the one that who was saying that, you know, we we have to keep Robertson. But what I'm saying is I genuinely don't think that tonight's defeat um was down to ah particular individual.
00:32:21
Jesse
don't think I don't think our our problem was the fullbacks playing down the flank in transition because even if Robertson were playing,
00:32:32
Jesse
And he made a run. He'd have got the ball half an hour later because that's how slow we were playing. So for me, I don't think it it made that much of a difference that Kerkis was playing.
00:32:45
Jesse
I think he's, you know, he's young. He's a young player. I think he's going to develop. He's got a lot of
Rotation Strategy and Leadership Needs
00:32:50
Jesse
energy. He reminds me of Robertson when he first came to Liverpool, just running around like a headless chicken, getting yellow cards, um couldn't cross a ball.
00:32:58
Jesse
um and But then he developed that. And I think that's what Kerkes is there for. But I think the problem with having a player like Kerkes and then having someone like Robertson who's proven is, particularly when you have a bad game or the team has a bad game, you think, oh, you know what? We need the experienced guy for this game.
00:33:18
Jesse
And then the next game is like, well, we're away to Galatasaray.
00:33:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:33:22
Jesse
We need the experienced guy. and Well, we're away to Chelsea now. Do we trust Kerkes? And before you know it, he's not playing at all. And so I think that's the issue that Slot has got because yeah we do have to rotate this team. And I think that the team selection, which I think is something worth ah mentioning as well, that we started with,
00:33:42
Jesse
I think that says that slot is going to rotate this team a lot more than he did last season when pretty much for the first two thirds of the season, he played pretty much the same team. And that's why we ran out a gas when we came to the League Cup final and the last stages of the Champions League.
00:34:01
Jesse
And, you know, with with the options that we've got now, I think you will see more um you know, more kind of transition and in terms of the team selection, which I don't know whether that helps our team when it comes to gelling these players together. If Frimpong is playing right back one week and then he's playing right wing and then he goes back to right back and then Sabozlai is right back and then he's attacking midfield. You know, it doesn't really help
00:34:32
Jesse
that kind of gelling process, but that's what slot is paid for and that he's going to have to work this one out.
00:34:39
Tom Goward
Can I just build on your point, Jesse, and and say that I think you're right.
00:34:41
Jesse
Yeah.
00:34:42
Tom Goward
I think tonight there was no individual error from a player. It's the way we played the game, the tempo, like you started with, the crosses, the headers. I mean, the last five four games, it looks like live no Liverpool player can header a ball.
00:34:57
Tom Goward
They need to go back to that basic drill you used to do at under six football, where you stand corner and throw the ball and they head it back to you into your hand. The throw-ins, not one Liverpool player that took a throw-in tonight looked to throw it down the line.
00:35:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:35:09
Tom Goward
Bradley coming on, Kirkez, Sabozlay, whoever was taking a throw-in on sort of you know, halfway line around that area, just picked ball and they just go back. No one ever, I watched the whole game every time we had a throw-in.
00:35:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:35:21
Jesse
But why do you think that is, Tom?
00:35:23
Tom Goward
Because they're trying to build up this this stupid narrative of building up from the back.
00:35:27
Jesse
Yeah. it It's this slow possession.
00:35:29
Tom Goward
It is that.
00:35:30
Jesse
Yeah. It's this so slow possession game.
00:35:32
Tom Goward
Yeah, it is. not one If I was a player, you remember a couple years ago when Mourinho was a manager of Spurs and that ball boy threw that ball to whoever it was and they threw it down the line quickly, crossed it in and Kane scored. It was Champions League game, I think.
00:35:45
Tom Goward
Liverpool never looked like And I'm not saying got a rush every throw-in. I'm not saying that. But just look a bit like you want to get the ball forward. like The throw-in is a great opportunity where you have possession to do something with that, using your hands to get the ball further down the line, whatever it is.
00:36:02
Tom Goward
And not one Liverpool player tonight looked down the line to throw the ball. sal um Frimpong should be there. Salah when he's coming on. Gakpo, Vert, should be making runs down the line. No, they just want to receive it and play it back to Canarte, back to Van Dijk.
00:36:17
Tom Goward
And then it's like that you've alluded to all all night, Jesse, in and rightly so. And then they slowly build up through the thing. Then they might win another throw in. And then they might win the odd corner. And these outswingers as well. I mean, we've spoken about outswingers and inswingers before. I'm sure we have, but...
00:36:31
Tom Goward
But just like, that's a whole other podcast. But yeah, it's um it's, I think you're right there.
00:36:36
Jesse
Swingers and Neen Swingers.
00:36:39
Tom Goward
I don't think it was an individual player. I think it's the things that the players did tonight. You know, the simple thing, crossing, heading, throw-ins, corners, all of them. That's what, that's what costs Liverpool and has cost Liverpool, you know, in other games. But we've got lucky because we've scored late on and the last two games, we've finally been exposed for the way that we've been playing.
00:37:01
Jesse
But do you not, Louis, do you not think that players sometimes have got to read the situation in a game and think, right, come on, guys, we need to pick this up a bit.
00:37:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:12
Jesse
you know It can't all just come from the the manager, right? The manager might say, right, quicken the tempo.
00:37:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:37:18
Jesse
Okay, slow the tempo now. You know, players like that, we've got experienced players there. We've got Van Dijk. We've got Salah. We've got McAllister, World Cup winner. Surely they can read a game and think, you know what, guys? 60 minutes.
00:37:30
Jesse
We've done absolutely nothing here. Come on, let's pick the pace up a bit. Okay.
00:37:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's... One of the reasons why I think Jordan Henderson is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League era, because he could really motivate. We heard it during lockdown when there were no fans in the stadium.
00:37:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
He would be barking at his teammates, at everyone, like congratulating them for a good bit of play under pressure and all of that sort of thing. And...
00:37:58
Jesse
He's doing it at Brentford as well now.
00:37:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's doing it at Brentford and he's done incredibly well to get two very good assists now. um So we do need someone like that. But those sorts of players are just so hard to find when you've got ah proper leader who can motivate a team and someone who's also so technically good during transition, which is something that we need at the moment.
00:38:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, that's one of the disadvantages of having such a young team, um especially in midfield, you know, Witts, Gravenberg, Jones, all young players who still have got so many years ahead of them. So I think that just has to come with time. Yeah.
00:38:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
and being able to read ah game
Upcoming Challenges and Tactical Adjustments
00:38:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
very well. and i And again, I think Robertson would be one of the closest things we have to that at the moment. We're going to take another quick break and then we'll just have some closing thoughts, um you know, going into future games. But first it's time for you to hear where you can get your supplements.
00:39:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Okay, so I have got a couple of bits of news just from Arna Slott that I've just seen online. um So on Alison, he said, it's never positive if you go off like this you can be sure he is not
00:39:44
Jesse
Thank you.
00:39:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
playing saturday As for Ekotike, he said he felt something when he had to reach for the ball. He said he couldn't continue. Let's see how he is on the weekend. So it doesn't sound as serious for Ekotike. The good news is we have perfectly capable backup in Mamadashvili. And to be honest, I'm quite excited to see him. I don't know about you.
00:40:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But with regards to um Saturday, Tom, I'll come to you. What would be your midfield three ah for Saturday against Chelsea?
00:40:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Another major game. um Probably quite a good time to be playing them after that Brighton loss. um You've seen enough of all the players. Who would you pick?
00:40:36
Tom Goward
I'm putting endo... No, I'm joking. I think I take... From what i but what I saw tonight and what I've seen at the weekend, I honestly would go back to what worked for us last year and go grab a Birch McAllister and supply.
00:40:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would have liked Endo in this match, actually.
00:40:50
Tom Goward
Just try it.
00:40:51
Jesse
Yeah.
00:40:51
Tom Goward
Just try it for a Chelsea, right? And let's see what happens. Burtz is struggling. We get that. We know it's not going to be like that forever. But just try something different that was proven to work last year.
00:41:03
Tom Goward
They know how each other's play. Graham Burtz has got even better this year. Louis, you said to Bosley, he's been our best player this season, and I agree. So pay that midfield free. But before before we just go, I'm just i'm i'm just looking at Liverpool's upcoming fixtures. You know, you're just talking about closing remarks.
00:41:19
Tom Goward
Chelsea away at the weekend. Then United at home the following week. And regardless of how bad do you think United are, that is just a derby, right?
00:41:25
Jesse
Yeah.
00:41:27
Tom Goward
that Then we pay Frankfurt away, who put five past the team we just lost 1-0 to tonight. We then go Brentford away. Probably should win that, really. Palace in the Cup.
00:41:39
Tom Goward
that doesn't fill me with joy. Um, Villa at home probably should win that. And then in the space of four days, we play round with your, the home and man city away. And then that takes us into the end of November.
00:41:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Henderson.
00:41:50
Tom Goward
Um,
00:41:53
Tom Goward
Realistically, at the moment, I can see us winning two or three games out of them if we play like we did tonight. And that's probably Brentford and Villa.
00:41:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh.
00:42:00
Tom Goward
I'm not saying we're going to play like we played tonight in every game. But if we do, ah this of this slow possession, like United might rock up at Anfield on the 19th. And we might make them look the best team in the league.
00:42:13
Jesse
Yeah.
00:42:14
Tom Goward
for the and And that's what's worrying, is we might make United look really good.
00:42:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, not wrong.
00:42:18
Tom Goward
But we could like we could, but we could just by the way we're playing at the moment. And imagine if United come away with something at Anfield in a couple of weeks' time. how embar like How embarrassing for Liverpool that that could be, obviously.
00:42:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:42:31
Jesse
And that's what worries me, Tom, is that, as you said, the the United game is a derby. So it's going to be blood and thunder. And, you know, there's this old adage where when you go to a hostile away environment, it's always like, look, you know, spend the first 15, 20 minute quieten the crowd, right?
00:42:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:42:53
Jesse
The problem is, is that we're doing that at home. We're doing that, but we're doing that for the whole 90 minutes. but like It's like, okay, lads, there was a point at around about 70, 75 minutes in this game where, and I'm not singling him out, but Curtis Jones got the ball and he was walking with the ball as if we're 1-0 up away from home.
00:43:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:43:18
Jesse
And I was just, but seriously. And that's the problem. And if Manchester United do come to Anfield, as you said, Tom, it's a derby. There's there's no, you know, it's not Liverpool are champions and United are terrible. This is Liverpool versus Manchester United.
00:43:34
Jesse
And if we're on the back foot, ande it and you give United an inch, the end of the day, they're they're Premier League footballers. And if if you give them an inch, they will take advantage of that.
00:43:45
Jesse
And like you said, they may look like a really good team if they come to Anfield. And we play the way that we're playing the last few days games. The Chelsea game at the weekend is massive for us.
00:43:56
Jesse
It's it's really it's really massive.
00:43:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:43:58
Jesse
I think if if if we lose that game, this could turn into one of those nightmare runs we've got to turn it around quickly win that game and just put this this last week or so to bed
00:44:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, of course, last time we went to Chelsea last season, we lost 3-1 well.
00:44:17
Jesse
yeah
00:44:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And these last two matches, the first time we've ever lost two in a row under Arna Slott. We did go four without winning last season, but we didn't lose two in a row.
00:44:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So this is definitely a time where we need to get everything together. And the good news is after this Chelsea match, before the Man United game, it's a very timely international break um as well. So Jesse, I'll ask you this is the final thing I'll say to either of you.
00:44:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're on a slot um after the Chelsea game, it's the international break. What are you saying to your players once they come back?
00:44:56
Jesse
I'm saying to my players that if you take more than two touches when you get the ball, ah it's a two-week fine.
00:45:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unless you're 1-0 up.
00:45:07
Jesse
like you Take your shirt off if you get booked. Do what you want. But when you get that ball, you play it first time. Or one touch and then just play it. But do not dilly-dally on the ball.
00:45:18
Jesse
More than two seconds on the ball, it's a two-week fine. That's what I'm saying.
00:45:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
OK, well, better days are coming, hopefully, than these last two horrific fixtures. and Chelsea on the weekend, I don't know what's going to happen there.
00:45:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Let's just say, thank God it's not a 12.30 kickoff.
00:45:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I bet Jurgen Klot, if he was in this position, that blood pressure would be going absolutely insane. So we'll end quite a somber podcast there. But, and know, thanks both of you for joining me after um that horrific 90 minutes. And well done for joining me as well. um After that, it's a testament of character to both of you.
00:46:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Join us for our next episodes where we'll be looking back at this fixture more tactically and also looking ahead to the Chelsea match on the weekend. It's a big one.
00:46:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Take care. See you on the next one.