22 Feb 2015

LFC Legends blast: Liverpool played 'bad'; Southampton were the 'better team'. Harsh?

After Liverpool's 2-0 win over Southampton, Reds skipper Jordan Henderson described the victory as the 'perfect away performance', but Anfield legends Jamie Carragher and John Aldridge are less than impressed by the manner of the victory.

Reacting to the 2-0 result this afternoon, Aldo tweeted:

"Can't believe how bad we played today, and actually won. Haven't seen that to many times recently. Three points and walk away".

Carra added:

"Great result for Liverpool today but thought Southampton were the better team. Ibe & Skrtel excellent. Southampton should have had one penalty".

The performance wasn't the greatest, but ultimately, who cares? Liverpool just took a giant step towards sealing a Champions League place, and a 2-0 away victory to one of the most consistent teams in the league is a great achievement.

Southampton may (marginally) have been the better team, but for me, the key point is they never really looked like scoring. For all the possession, the Saints rarely threatened Mignolet, and Liverpool looked defensively comfortable all over the pitch.

Earlier in the season, I'd get feeling of impending dread whenever the Reds went a goal-up, but now, it feels totally different. When the first goal went in, I felt confidence that Liverpool would defend the lead, and that's the a testament to the massive performance improvement over the last couple of months.

As the old cliche goes, winning games whilst playing badly is the hallmark of Champions, and right now, Liverpool are top of the Premier League form table with 16 points out of the last 18.

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Calling for continuous improvement is always a good thing though, and in that sense, Aldo and Carra are spot on with their comments. Complacency is a killer, and there's no point getting carried away with the current run of good form.

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41 comments:

  1. Not a great performance but it's a huge win . hopefully we can push on from here.some tough games ahead in the next few weeks...

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  2. Great result, but the performance makes me worry about the City game next week. My view is we should be prioritising that game over the Europa cup and if that means leaving a few lads at home so be it.

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  3. I have to agree, you cannot be the best all the time. What makes a great team is grinding out results when you are not at the top of your game.
    Yes Southampton edged it on the night but they couldn't score where we could even playing badly and that's what counts. Have to say we were lucky with the pen (Allen's challenge)

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  4. We played like Chelsea today. Tactically we have come a long way since they beat us last season.

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  5. Amazing.....
    Some are never happy. Today we played a perfect game; away from home and 3 days after a europe game and we won - 2 - 0.
    Personally I thought we resembled a hard to beat chelsea team; one which showed experience in how to adapt and mould to a given environment and get a result.
    There is a time and place for flowing fast paced spanish style footie - and straight after a game in europe and against a teem who you want to put in their 'place' is not the time nor the opportunity - this one was for us fans - to give us hope and excitement for the games to come.....


    Oh and we matched a record for the first time in 30 years - 5 clean sheets on the road in a row.....


    I'm impressed with both team and manager :-)

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  6. Wash your mouth out ;-)

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  7. The first half minus the Coutinho's wondergoal was pretty bad I have to say. I think we were very lucky not to consede.

    But the second half was much better. Our defence played very well not many changes for Tottenham. We have become much better at protecting the lead. Last season we were always panicking in the end. Now it seems it's a history.


    1-1 would have been fair result but after we led 1-0 after the first half I don't think 2-0 feels very wrong.

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  8. A win is a win regardless, and Southampton have been the surprise team of the season and will upset a few more of the big teams before the seasons out. We were at times bullied in midfield and a strong DM is needed probably be Emre Can next season but as it stands he's playing superb at the back, We won though that's the main thing.


    YNWA

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  9. Ops I mean no many chances for Southampton.

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  10. psst use the edit button no one will ever know ;-)

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  11. Nicolas Chamberlain9:50 pm, February 22, 2015

    Southampton was pretty poor. Created almost nothing.
    We didn't play great nor did we create our 'normal' amount of chances but to say that Southampton played us of the park is beyond madness.
    Last season when we won 0-3, Southampton played much better than they did today. Southampton is well organised and hard to break but that's about it. They have a total lack of creativeness and individual class.
    Maybe we didn't 'deserve', whatever that means, to win but we didn't sure as hell deserve to lose.

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  12. Good article Jaimie. We weren't at our best today in an attacking sense but we were defensively compact, disciplined and very well organised. Southampton huffed and puffed but generally we were comfortable and we had the chances to have scored a couple more. Tactics were spot on today. It was a mature, professional display.

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  13. Nicolas Chamberlain9:56 pm, February 22, 2015

    Rodgers criticized Southampton because they make no mention at all of the two players that brought Southampton to where they are now.
    I think Southampton is a deluded club. Koeman actually thought that all the players left the club because of money...
    Well, sometimes its not only about money or Europe but the fact that some clubs are just way bigger...

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  14. We need a very similar performance in Turkey on Thursday

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  15. At that point in the season win and walk away.

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  16. That form table looks good doesn't it?



    The legends are quite clearly talking bollocks. I was especially pleased with the manner of the win, having played a big game just 3 days ago. It shows we can be tactically diverse; shows we are good enough in all departments to be able to win in different ways and not just by running ourselves ragged. It shows we have a killer instinct. And to have kept five clean sheets in our last five away games is an astonishing feat given our defensive problems early in the season. I admit we didn't have the best first half but looked more and more comfortable as the game wore on. I thought each and every player showed great application and discipline. Apart from the penalty claims (one definite penalty) Southampton struggled badly to break us down. Yeah, I thought it was a very satisfying win indeed.

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  17. I'm sorry I've let myself down, I know there is a strict no swearing policy on this forum 😔

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  18. We pressed really well today, that impressed me. That's why sterling gets the nod over balo.

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  19. Chelsea have played this way a number of times this season to good effect. If today was bad then I don't what to call any of our CL performances or most of the first part of the season performances. I'd take this every time. Don't get me wrong we weren't at our best but in this instance we didn't have to be and WON.. Can and Skrtel were imperious and an hour onourable mention to the little magician, Ibe, Sterling and dare I say it Allen. Oh yes pat on the back to BR for recognising that Marcovic was getting skinned so replaced him with Moreno. Well done lads. First time we took our opportunity to close the gap in a while.

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  20. It was like you said something racist. Eugh.

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  21. I'm going to get Jamie to ban me for at least a week, unacceptable behaviour

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  22. Carra and Aldo are talking shite. I love winning ugly. It's the sign of winners. Don't know where on middle earth this new defence has come from, but let it stay. Coutinho was man of the match simply based on the goal alone. His best ever goal in a red shirt.

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  23. Also stoked because many thought we would lose this match.

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  24. Forget Nainggolan, if you're a ninja like me, you're never banned.

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  25. Car rather still bitter he's not part of a successful team and his bitterness is showing. He needs to wind his neck in and support his old team

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  26. I think that's looking a bit too much into it.

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  27. Good thing is that City have been quite inconsistent this season...and that Newcastle were f***ing rubbish anyway.

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  28. And they've got Barca midweek

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  29. We've got Istanbul :/

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  30. I was disappointed in Lallana's treatment today. He personifies everything Southampton were about during their rise from league one to where they are now, he played for them for years to great success then they got a vast amount of money for him which allowed them to rebuild their squad. I understand why they hate Lovren but Adam took out that full page message in the local paper for the Southampton fans when he left and I would've thought only the harshest fans would grudge him the chance to go and play in the Champions League for a massive club like Liverpool

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  31. You have to say that the team defends much better than earlier in the season which means we don't have to score as many. When Chelsea or Utd do it pundits say it's the mark of a champion. Both have done the same as we did several times this season

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  32. No, it wasn't a great performance but I don't think anyone cares. It was always going to be a tough game that came down to just a handful of key moments. Southampton had no luck and Liverpool had a little. I think the second penalty shout was probably legitimate but the first one was a dive, plain and simple. Maybe for the second the fact that it's not really Allen who brings the player down. I wouldn't say that Liverpool were poor. Despite some nervy moments the defence held up pretty well and both Liverpool goals were completely legitimate, not really much luck involved. Like Jamie said: Southampton never really created enough to have a decent chance on goal, let alone two.


    Squad depth really coming into it's own now. To be able to bring on Moreno like that at half time, leaving Sakho out of the squad entirely, resting Sturridge again, Mario not needed ... Liverpool have a lot of tools at their disposal and it's really showing. They can genuinely compete in three competitions from now to the end of the season so a trophy of some kind is a real chance. Exciting times to be a Liverpool supporter. Pity about the chumps who wrote them off after two months.

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  33. I don't want to get on Lovren's back too much because he wasn't terrible but he had the lowest passing stats of any outfield player in the team with 68%. Has Sakho ever gotten under 87%?

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  34. I would say that gladly in order to second your statement.....

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  35. Sorry bro but I feel he's just been rattled by the early season shit and how Brendan tried to play to balotelli's strengths - it may have left Lovren exposed, and once done, was a spiral down in confidence in front of a very expecting audience of LFC supporters used to quality players fitting quicker.


    Remember we had Suarez discounting anything happening against the defenders the season before.


    Anyhow, maybe I've just failed too many times in my life to pass any kind of judgement, but I feel very forgiving toward a player like Lovren, who is definitely class and who I hope can find his rhythm and get his game going - when I'm sure we will become big fans of his....

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  36. Sorry but I can't excuse the slating. The conditions, though both teams had to play in them, were very harsh. Yeah, we didn't look great but who could? The bottom line is we went to a rival's stadium where we don't fare well and kept a clean sheet while winning. It isn't time for criticism...it's a time for joy...for a day or so but Carra should be happy.

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  37. i see the mentality of our defender has change, there"s no panic attack during defending the lead.....that's good........YNWA

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  38. Top of the pops ! Coming in at number 1 this week it's an oul
    classic, Liverpool ! Great weekend for us reds, enjoy.

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  39. Jaimie's good predictions keep Liverpool winning Ha Ha .
    Jaimie I really HOPE you not a betting man

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  40. Pandle do you remember most we're saying sack BR? Funny now isn't?

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