In January of 2016, a recurring theme of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp was summed up in one game: Norwich 4-5 Liverpool.
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In what was to be one of the games of the year, Liverpool came back from 3-1 down to lead 4-3, conceded an equaliser in the 92nd minute, and then scored a winner three minutes later. It was a crazy game in terms of the scoreline, but it was a crazy game in many many other respects, too.
That was January 23rd, and the details will make you look back and smile warmly at a simpler time: Jurgen Klopp’s glasses broken by Christian Benteke in the celebratory melee of the winning goal, the assist for which was laid on by a Steven Caulker header, a sort of ‘Jurgen Klopp does English football’ tribute act, though this time Caulker was actually played in defence.
At the time, Liverpool were rocky defensively but good going forward. Not much has changed. Dieudonne Mbokani scored a backheeled goal after Klopp’s side were all over the place from a set piece – again, not much has changed.
Looking long term, to win a game 5-4 is probably not a good thing. It is a momentary high, but it shows a worrying lack of defensive solidity. Indeed, the positive from the opposite angle – that it shows you can score goals – is tempered by the fact that you’re playing against a team who can concede that many. As Swansea and Crystal Palace have shown this season, 5-4 doesn’t necessarily mean stellar attacks, but it definitely means shoddy defences.
If Liverpool haven’t managed to turn their defensive horrors around, though, they aren’t alone. This weekend’s opponents Manchester City are in a similar boat. The Norwich win was Liverpool’s only victory in six games between January 2th and February 6th, whilst they conceded 14 goals in that time: over two a game. After that, Liverpool picked up the pace and ended the season well.
City, meanwhile, picked up where Liverpool left off. On February 6th, they started their own run of six games with only one victory, conceding nine goals in that time.
Neither team has looked much more solid this season than they did last. But perceptions have changed dramatically.
For one thing, both teams will still see themselves as title challengers. That wasn’t the case last season. In the end, Liverpool found themselves too far back to get even a Europa League spot, whilst City scraped a Champions League place. There’s a huge change in perception.
Adam Lallana didn’t start the game against Norwich in January, but he did finish it. The midfielder came off the bench when the score was still 3-2 to Norwich, replacing Jordon Ibe, who had looked like one of Liverpool’s best players in a poor performance up to that point. His biggest act was to score the winning goal in the 95th minute.
Since then, Lallana hasn’t really looked back. He’s been one of Liverpool’s best players, and the same goes for his country. Something has changed with the England man – from being a slight playmaker who gets lost in games, he’s become almost a spiritual leader for his team, working incredibly hard. He used to have a reputation for never lasting 90 minutes. Not any more.
It’s odd, though: Liverpool haven’t changed all that much. Their defence is still weak, and still weak from set-pieces; and they’re still a force in attack. Adam Lallana, too, for all his new-found industry and effectiveness, has only lasted a full 90 minutes on four occasions this season.
They say madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, but for Liverpool, the same old story is bearing more fruit this season than it did last time. Klopp kickstarted 2016 with a 5-4 victory that showed up his side’s defensive frailties, and if there’s a team to mirror that, it’s Manchester City.
But as we’ve seen – the perceptions may not match up with the reality.
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