So, we come back to Selhurst for a rare Saturday evening game against Liverpool this weekend.
Ahead of the match I had a chat with Daz O’Connor from The Liverpool Connection Podcast to get an inside track on how Liverpool fans are feeling after their trauma against Madrid in the week…
Q – First things first, are you feeling okay?
DOC – Errr, I’ve just about made it out of the foetal position I’ve been hiding in for the last few days.
Q – So where are Liverpool right now? Some positive recent results in the league but then a wild night against Madrid?
DOC – It is hard to gauge – we have beaten some good sides away from home but we seem pretty far away from the heights of last season, we definitely seem to be lacking consistency and the ability to play well for 90 minutes. We’re not really that much more than halfway through the season but there could be a sense of limping toward the end
Q – And so what’s the realistic ambition for the rest of the season? Top 4? Something about momentum?
DOC – Definitely top 4, and I’m not ready to give up the season even if I wanted it to be swallowed up by some kind of temporal black hole on Wednesday night.
Q – Who has been your player of the season so far? I’ve been impressed by the emergence of Bajcetic but Alisson continues to stand out, is that your take?
DOC – Alison, definitely and that isn’t great to say because it indicates quite how poor the rest of the team have been.
Q – What has behind the drop off this season? Is it about lack of investment? The end of a cycle? Klopp reaching his end game? No more Mane?
DOC – Look, obviously there is a combination of factors but in hindsight not refreshing our midfield in the summer looks like a major error. Trying to play a Klopp system, including the super high line in a team that essentially can’t do it. Henderson is a year older and doesn’t look like he can manage the high intensity Klopp’s system needs, Fabinho looks a shadow of his former self and Thiago hasn’t been fit to play more than a few games in a row. Everyone knows we were in for Bellingham, but apparently we were also close to getting Tchouameni as well. Not getting in one of them, or a substitute has left us looking short and relying on an 18 year old – who has been class – but can’t carry our whole midfield. But combine the midfield issue with a new look front 3 who aren’t as aggressive in the press as the Mane-Firmino-Salah partnership and it’s a recipe for putting a lot of pressure on our backline.
Q – If you had a magic wand – who would you be signing in the summer? (guessing Bellingham?)
DOC – Yes definitely Bellingham, and ideally Rice or another defensive midfielder. FSG really need to back Klopp.
Q – To the match on Saturday, where do you think the match will be won and lost?
DOC – I think a lot will come down to the midfield battle, Zaha being out will be a benefit for us as he is the one who really exploited our high line last time at Anfield.
TEB – Cheers Daz, here’s to a great match.
