Liverpool Verdict Thread

[Royal wolf]

Think we all need to eat a bit of humble pie after criticism of the team

Speak for yourself

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

Have to admire the sheer gall of some posters who can both rinse the team selection and two hours later say how proud they are of the same team

Must admit i thought we would get hammered when i saw the team
Obviously i was totally wrong,nothing new for me lol
Total credit for a brilliantly gutsy performance all round and deserved to win

 

[Willywolf]

Having slept on it, still seething with the officiating (Salah one is far more contentious for me as I think there’s no way Toti goes to head that ball if salah isn’t there, it goes back to the keeper. Remember being told you play to the whistle?), but incredibly proud and excited by numerous excellent performances from a largely second string team.

A bit of a coming of age game for Hodge, superb marshalling of the midfield and some terrific forward balls from neves, Guedes got what he deserved for his effort and persistence, Johnny looked far more composed in a 3, and, tbf, Collins had one of his best games. It’s a real shame that the mistakes Collins makes lead to goals - he doesn’t seem to be getting away with many. Hopefully that’ll make him grow/learn quicker. Experience next to him will hopefully iron it out. Certainly showed some leadership last night too, so credit where due.

All in all, pleasing to be excited by our team again and that tempers my frustration at the whole VAR fiasco. Thank you Mr Lopetegui for bringing the staff, knowledge and skills to make our team competitive and enjoyable to watch once more.

 

[Willywolf]

Forgot to say Lembikisa was also outstanding against one of the most highly rated attackers in football atm.

 

[Minimalist]

When I saw it was basically our second string team against their pretty much best team I did fear a potential stuffing!
So impressed with us once we got past the first 15 mins.
Hodge and Lembikisa are genuine first team options.

We started 442, but seemed to me we tweaked it to 4231 which improved us?

 

[DPE]

Sure, but some people need to learn to reign themselves in a little on the comms thread. Some people wrote us off based on the team selection. Maybe they should engage brain before they post? Or at least trust Lopetegui a little bit more. He does know more about all of this than we do after all. And the transformation he has brought about is absolutely incredible.

Agree but we are all different I guess and it works both ways. I was called a WUM and to go back to my team on the comms thread because I said we were brilliant despite Liverpool being the better side. Some odd characters on the mix both sides it seems.

 

[topcat99]

As the ball hit the net from Toti, the linesman turned and headed towards the halfway line.

No flag was raised at that point.

 

[Wellington Wolf]

Forgot to say Lembikisa was also outstanding against one of the most highly rated attackers in football atm.

Thought he was excellent

 

[Scallywolf]

Just woke up and have to say, again, it was superb performance.

Forget the officiating (a disgrace) and think about our performance. We played our kids against a strong team of Scousers (and officials) at a packed Anfield and came off the pitch knowing we had been robbed of victory!

 

[Elvis Wolf]

Am EXCELLENT team performance!
We WERE VERY IMPRESSIVE, throughout the WHOLE game !
Let's go to Forest and through to the Semi's!!
Then stuff West Ham!!!
VERY Proud of ALL the players!!
AND Coaches!! Superb!!

 

[sc91]

On a slight negative. I see why JL persists with Costa, whilst it does fit with what was thought for a while but Raul simply isn't coming back, he was a real weak link.

 

[SquaddieWolf]

Even tho I'm fuming at the officiating, I'm really not shocked anymore by it, it's happening all to often where we are getting goals disallowed, red cards, giving penalty away and not been given penalties all due to bad officiating and these instances are far more often now we have VAR, it feels inevitable that we will get screwed over especially against the big teams, it just feels the way for Us. I have no doubt that we will get screwed over by atleast another 10 bad VAR decisions by the end of the season.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

As the ball hit the net from Toti, the linesman turned and headed towards the halfway line.

No flag was raised at that point.

The ref told him to put his flag up.

Then because VAR couldn't find a video of it. They went with the linesmen, no wait the refs decision even though he clearly couldn't see it and it was the wrong decision.

Not fit to ref

 

[SE10 Wolf]

The ref told him to put his flag up.

Then because VAR couldn't find a video of it. They went with the linesmen, no wait the refs decision even though he clearly couldn't see it and it was the wrong decision.

Not fit to ref

This is a key point. Add the time it took them to come up with an explanation that was then dutifully parroted by most commentators and you can’t help but smell the corruption.

 

[Oldvic161]

High point of the match for me……..youngsters, just starting the their careers, impressing against top class players, lembesika, hodge, couple that with still young players like RAN, Collins and Nunes there should be real optimism now that going forward, we have a manager who knows how to manage and incorporate these players in a successful side.
Sadly, for those of us stuck watching itv4, the commentators barely mentioned how young hodge and lembesika are yet were more than happy to bleat about Doak being 17, usual tv bias coupled with the var and officials being biased still didn’t spoil what I thought was a terrific performance.

 

[WinchWolf]

Thought we played really really well. Wolves fans superb. Haven't met a single Liverpool fan, who thought that our goal should have been disallowed.

 

[Scallywolf]

On a slight negative. I see why JL persists with Costa, whilst it does fit with what was thought for a while but Raul simply isn't coming back, he was a real weak link.

In his defence, it was his first start for months and he did put himself about a bit.

He didn’t do any less than Costa has done with all his starts imo.

Just glad to see him back.

 

[AndyY]

The ref told him to put his flag up.

Then because VAR couldn't find a video of it. They went with the linesmen, no wait the refs decision even though he clearly couldn't see it and it was the wrong decision.

Not fit to ref

So the linesman did not give it until told to by the ref.
VAR could not see it/ check it
So they actually went with the ref who was in no position to see it accurately.
You could not make it up.

 

[reanswolf]

Thought we played really well TBH. Against a strong Liverpool team. The game ebbed and flowed one way then the other.

Scores on the doors: -

Sarkic 7 - had no chance for either goal but strangely wasn't really asked to make a save of any note.
Lembikisa - 8 - thought he defended very well, Liverpool genuinely found it hard to get round him and he rarely got skinned. Very promising.
Collins - 8 - was a man mountain and looked far more assured. One miss-queued booted clearance was loose but you really shouldn't expect a goal to come from that. Unlucky there.
Gomes - 8.5 - My MOTM - superb alongside Collins and even found room to get forward. Possibly responsible for Liverpool second goal but robbed of a winner. Dreadful officiating.
Otto - 7 - steady enough, got forward enough and tidy in possession.
Traore - 7 - worked his socks off, somethings were good, some not so. Erratic as usual but effort was superb.
Neves - 8 - thought it was his best game of the season, excellent in possession and in distribution.
Hodge - 7.5 - had doubts about him, but warming to him. Nothing spectacular but he has bite and was nice in possession.
Ait-Nouri - 7.5 - some great moments but also lost possession a little too often with his mazy runs. Over-elaborated at times.
Guedes - 7 - grafted and took goal nicely, also had a lovely effort from distance. Still goes down too easily for me.
Jimenez - 6 - worked hard but with little effect. Has lost half a yard and it makes a difference.

SUBS
Nunes - 8 - caught in possession once but really (sadly for us) showed his ability on the ball with his runs at Liverpool.
Hee-Chan - 7 - worked hard and involved in a few moments. Got a goal even if lucky.
Semedo - 7 - filled in nicely when required, no errors.
Bueno - 7 - tigerish as you expect and did well.

Finally, credit to the 6,000 Wolves fans, meanwhile was a bit disappointed with the atmosphere though Anfield is impressive. I totally appreciate this was not a big game for them, but unfortunately this is what you get when you become a super-club with 50,000+ atmosphere. Football tourists. I have no problem at all with the local scousers, but listening to middle-class families from the midlands/south outside the ground saying to their children "I think we will win 5-0 and Salah will get a hattrick" is symptomatic of what British football and especially the superclubs have become. Long live the South Bank ferals!

 

[Spitfire]

As the ball hit the net from Toti, the linesman turned and headed towards the halfway line.

No flag was raised at that point.

He wasn’t level with their last man either.

 

[Wolf316]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1612003191318519809

 

[geowolf]

The ref told him to put his flag up.

Then because VAR couldn't find a video of it. They went with the linesmen, no wait the refs decision even though he clearly couldn't see it and it was the wrong decision.

Not fit to ref

I genuinely can't understand why a ref would ever tell a linesman to put his flag up. VAR is going to be all over it flag or no flag. I guess it gives the benefit of a 'hung decision' to Liverpool. All very strange and opaque - they really need to start releasing transcripts of the conversations between officials.

 

[Mel Eves on a bike]

These two rules were news to me. So every corner taker can’t receive the ball after taking a corner otherwise he will be deemed offside?

 

[WinchWolf]

I genuinely can't understand why a ref would ever tell a linesman to put his flag up. VAR is going to be all over it flag or no flag. I guess it gives the benefit of a 'hung decision' to Liverpool. All very strange and opaque - they really need to start releasing transcripts of the conversations between officials.

Agreed, if he hadn't put his flag up, they would have still checked and found no evidence to disallow the goal

 

[George AlooGobi]

These two rules were news to me. So every corner taker can’t receive the ball after taking a corner otherwise he will be deemed offside?

Unless there's a defender on the post

Feels to me like they make it up as they go along

 

[SquaddieWolf]

These two rules were news to me. So every corner taker can’t receive the ball after taking a corner otherwise he will be deemed offside?

Depends what team it is

 

[Ned]

Performance wise there weren’t really any negatives. If I’m actively looking for some I would say Raul was below par but looked sharper than normal and Sarkic doesn’t look good enough to deputise for Sa if called upon.

Other than that everybody played well and we look like we are on our way back to the levels we were expecting this season.

 

[Norway Wolves]

Errrr absurd?? Hardly ... I've played the game , and as a central defender.
It's called vision and awareness , as the last defender he obviously knew that sala was behind him and we'll offside , and he obviously has the awareness of the rules of the game that if he heads it to sala , then he plays sala onside ...so therefore , with the backup of the linesman standing a few feet away, AND var ,,he ducks under it, then sala is offside and can't play the ball .

He couldn't take the risk that Salah was definately offside.

 

[sillytuna]

He couldn't take the risk that Salah was definately offside.

I suspect waveny played the game indeed... when he was six. Because no one sane would take that risk. He couldn't know salah was offside. It was a bad header tho.

 

[Fenrir_]

Errrr absurd?? Hardly ... I've played the game , and as a central defender.
It's called vision and awareness , as the last defender he obviously knew that sala was behind him and we'll offside , and he obviously has the awareness of the rules of the game that if he heads it to sala , then he plays sala onside ...so therefore , with the backup of the linesman standing a few feet away, AND var ,,he ducks under it, then sala is offside and can't play the ball .

No central defender of any half decent standard is letting that ball go over his head to call for a tight offside, ever

And I'd argue that anyone suggesting he didn't have to try and get a head on it and could/should have just let it go has never played the game at any level

 

[ewarwoowar]

a terrific effort by all of the players and was pleased for Collins and Nunes who at last seem to to be getting a bit of a grasp of the situation and looking what they should be and that is top players.must mention Dexter Lembikisa who had a good game against international footballers and baffling officiating.must admit when i first saw the team sheet it did`nt inspire me but what do i know?

 

[kennyB]

Thought that Adama was a constant menace who kept Robertson much quieter than usual. A bit erratic at times I know but let's give credit where due.

 

[ewarwoowar]

it may be the current rule but how in the hell can salah be onside when a pass clearly intended for him when he is in an offside position?then to compound the issue he "scores".again would it been allowed for us?

 

[wulfie88]

 

[Skrilla]

These two rules were news to me. So every corner taker can’t receive the ball after taking a corner otherwise he will be deemed offside?

He can if he runs back into an onside position, which he does!

 

[Incognito]

Errrr absurd?? Hardly ... I've played the game , and as a central defender.
It's called vision and awareness , as the last defender he obviously knew that sala was behind him and we'll offside , and he obviously has the awareness of the rules of the game that if he heads it to sala , then he plays sala onside ...so therefore , with the backup of the linesman standing a few feet away, AND var ,,he ducks under it, then sala is offside and can't play the ball .

You're going from the absurd to the ridiculous if you think that a defender in the heat of the game will go through that thought process. And you say you've played the game...The bottom line is the rule is open to interpretation and is clearly not in the spirit of the game. At the time the ball was played, Salah was seeking an advantage by being in an offside position. End of.

 

[Eastyorksyeltz]

Errrr absurd?? Hardly ... I've played the game , and as a central defender.
It's called vision and awareness , as the last defender he obviously knew that sala was behind him and we'll offside , and he obviously has the awareness of the rules of the game that if he heads it to sala , then he plays sala onside ...so therefore , with the backup of the linesman standing a few feet away, AND var ,,he ducks under it, then sala is offside and can't play the ball .

But what's the betting that VAR would not have had a decent camera angle to call the offside?

 

[Contrarian]

These two rules were news to me. So every corner taker can’t receive the ball after taking a corner otherwise he will be deemed offside?

Not quite. Section 4, subsection 3, annex 7b, clause IV states: "a corner taker receiving the ball after the corner is taken shall be offside at the referees discretion, depending on the relevant status of the clubs involved".

Which shows that the referee was, as always, 100% correct and it's just the typical modern so-called fan who doesn't understand the rules.

 

[Jefe]

Errrr absurd?? Hardly ... I've played the game , and as a central defender. It's called vision and awareness , as the last defender he obviously knew that sala was behind him and we'll offside

Hindsight is the philosophy of fools. In real time, Toti has a teammate on his blind side when the ball is played. You cannot expect him to know if they're playing Salah onside or not, while tracking Salah and reading the flight of the pass, simultaneously in a split second. He's not a robot.

 

[Streathamwolf]

Errrr absurd?? Hardly ... I've played the game , and as a central defender.
It's called vision and awareness , as the last defender he obviously knew that sala was behind him and we'll offside , and he obviously has the awareness of the rules of the game that if he heads it to sala , then he plays sala onside ...so therefore , with the backup of the linesman standing a few feet away, AND var ,,he ducks under it, then sala is offside and can't play the ball .

Troll