Yes - and nice that we have about 5 or 6 games before the next international break so ideal if they keep up that chemistry for this run including Spurs & City.
Genk post-match
- Thread starter rurikbird
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Yes - and nice that we have about 5 or 6 games before the next international break so ideal if they keep up that chemistry for this run including Spurs & City.
A very handsome away result indeed, even if the opposition were Genk and the performance far from perfect. There was much to admire and plenty to be concerned about, as the much-vaunted and desirous "creative midfield" selection did everything good that its biggest fans wanted, and quite a lot bad that its biggest detractors feared.
Certainly there's almost fuck all chance we'd see it against teams better than Genk away from home. Sorry, everyone. It's simply way too open. It's easy to blame the defensive lapses on Lovren, because he's a walking defensive lapse, but our midfield was simply bypassed at times, and there was several occasions where Chamberlain and Keita simply allowed players to run past them too easily, and then didn't chase back hard enough.
On the plus side, we actually had a midfielder who scored some goals! And it was most certainly a more progressive and positive set-up. So, pros and cons. As expected.
Alisson (7) One top class save, conceded twice - one chalked off fortunately - but was pretty solid and getting back into his groove. Used the ball well, too.
Milner (7) Mr Versatile. Mr Reliable. Mr James Milner. Didn't really play that much as a full-back, but fine, he knows what he's doing.
Virgil (7) Perhaps a few careless decisions, if we're being picky, but squashed most resistance as the game wore on and became very dominant.
Lovren (5) He was clanking around the pitch a bit at the start, but he soon oiled the joints and started to perform well. But then late on he "had a Lovren" out wide - one of those total comedy moments where he becomes a one-man Keystone Kops and conjures a fucking disaster out of nothing - and ended up sprawling as Genk went on to score.
Robertson (7) Typical whirlwind of industry and energy, he was a constant menace down the left and had one or two great openings himself. Maybe should have been a bit defensively tighter though.
Fabinho (8) Ah, much better. Left to do pretty much all the midfield dirty work, he rolled his sleeves up and did it all. Then did some more. And even had time to polish a bit of the silver.
Chamberlain (8) Showed wonderful technique to score the spectacular second, and also smacked in the opener. It's great to have a goal threat in the midfield, and while there were some issues with his workrate, passing and defending - he left a midfield runner more than once - you can't really argue with two goals.
Keita (6) Always looking to find gaps of space to move or pass into, and saw plenty of the ball. It was a positive and dynamic display, but lacked a killer final pass or shot. There was also some moments where he seemed disinterested in getting back to help out and he leaves WAAYYYY too many spaces behind him, but he is improving.
Mane (8) Scored one made one, caused plenty of mischief and linked up well with Robbo, Firmino and Salah. Should have scored another too. Boss.
Firmino (7) After a truly horrible display at United, this was far more like it. A few moments of frustration with a careless pass or two, but got better and better, and one rabona pass to Mane was a thing of devastating beauty. Didn't score, but to be fair, he isn't much of a goalscorer, and everyone else did, so who cares?
Salah (7) He was badly missed against United and his pace, movement and goal threat was a bonus here. Not quite at it, with his passing awry (again), but he duly scored another goal with a lovely piece of skill and finish. Great to have him back.
Certainly there's almost fuck all chance we'd see it against teams better than Genk away from home. Sorry, everyone. It's simply way too open. It's easy to blame the defensive lapses on Lovren, because he's a walking defensive lapse, but our midfield was simply bypassed at times, and there was several occasions where Chamberlain and Keita simply allowed players to run past them too easily, and then didn't chase back hard enough.
On the plus side, we actually had a midfielder who scored some goals! And it was most certainly a more progressive and positive set-up. So, pros and cons. As expected.
Alisson (7) One top class save, conceded twice - one chalked off fortunately - but was pretty solid and getting back into his groove. Used the ball well, too.
Milner (7) Mr Versatile. Mr Reliable. Mr James Milner. Didn't really play that much as a full-back, but fine, he knows what he's doing.
Virgil (7) Perhaps a few careless decisions, if we're being picky, but squashed most resistance as the game wore on and became very dominant.
Lovren (5) He was clanking around the pitch a bit at the start, but he soon oiled the joints and started to perform well. But then late on he "had a Lovren" out wide - one of those total comedy moments where he becomes a one-man Keystone Kops and conjures a fucking disaster out of nothing - and ended up sprawling as Genk went on to score.
Robertson (7) Typical whirlwind of industry and energy, he was a constant menace down the left and had one or two great openings himself. Maybe should have been a bit defensively tighter though.
Fabinho (8) Ah, much better. Left to do pretty much all the midfield dirty work, he rolled his sleeves up and did it all. Then did some more. And even had time to polish a bit of the silver.
Chamberlain (8) Showed wonderful technique to score the spectacular second, and also smacked in the opener. It's great to have a goal threat in the midfield, and while there were some issues with his workrate, passing and defending - he left a midfield runner more than once - you can't really argue with two goals.
Keita (6) Always looking to find gaps of space to move or pass into, and saw plenty of the ball. It was a positive and dynamic display, but lacked a killer final pass or shot. There was also some moments where he seemed disinterested in getting back to help out and he leaves WAAYYYY too many spaces behind him, but he is improving.
Mane (8) Scored one made one, caused plenty of mischief and linked up well with Robbo, Firmino and Salah. Should have scored another too. Boss.
Firmino (7) After a truly horrible display at United, this was far more like it. A few moments of frustration with a careless pass or two, but got better and better, and one rabona pass to Mane was a thing of devastating beauty. Didn't score, but to be fair, he isn't much of a goalscorer, and everyone else did, so who cares?
Salah (7) He was badly missed against United and his pace, movement and goal threat was a bonus here. Not quite at it, with his passing awry (again), but he duly scored another goal with a lovely piece of skill and finish. Great to have him back.
Just stop, that hole is bigger than the Mersey Tunnel now.
Naby Keita was absolute class tonight. Didn’t score or assist but he absolutely ran the show, made the most passes completed (110), most final third passes (29), most ball recoveries (12), most tackles won (3) and most take-ons completed (3).
As an aside it was weird to see the Mersey Tunnel in the excellent film Yesterday. Bad memories from the many traffic jams that often started on the Rock Ferry by-pass!
So one sunday our midfielders don't perform as all they do is chasing the ball and get stuck in tackles, and the following wednesday they don't perform as all they do is controll the ball and pass it around looking for openings.
Certainly nice of Gent - first to invite them to tonight's Europa League game, then as VIP guests to a January game v Genk.
Ha ha I’m not Keita’s biggest fan but his numbers were superb in this game. A 6? Behave.
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