{"id":474,"date":"2016-05-09T13:08:58","date_gmt":"2016-05-09T13:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=474"},"modified":"2016-08-22T14:41:36","modified_gmt":"2016-08-22T14:41:36","slug":"liverpool-2-watford-0-match-report-and-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-2-watford-0-match-report-and-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool 2 &#8211; Watford 0: Match Report And Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Yesterday feels like an age ago already. Who did we play? What was the score? What was the point? Let\u2019s be honest, despite J\u00fcrgen\u2019s promise that his players are focussed on nothing but the match right in front of them, all eyes are now firmly fixed on Basel.<\/p>\n<p>Did yesterday help us learn anything? Are we more informed than we were before kick-off? Or is it just a matter of getting another meaningless game out of the way before we pack our bags and head off to Europe again?<\/p>\n<h2>Allen Bosses The Midfield Once More<\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ve long been banging the Joe Allen drum so it\u2019s been an absolute delight recently to see him get the credit from Liverpool fans that he deserves. With every match we play under J\u00fcrgen Klopp\u2019s management the distant, divisive days of Brendan Rodgers\u2019 reign seem to melt away. No longer is Allen Rodgers\u2019 Head Boy but instead is a rapidly growing cult hero of a midfielder that many want to stay at Anfield past this season.<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday\u2019s game was about as \u2018dead rubber end of season\u2019 as it\u2019s possible for a game to get, with most players seeming to go through the motions. Allen himself did the unusual and gave the ball away a few times in the early stages of the match, with Watford nearly punching his sloppiness. Such is his ability, though, that it didn\u2019t take long for him to move up a few gears and become the dynamic midfielder we now know.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">62 touches<br \/>\n86% pass accuracy<br \/>\n1 chance created<br \/>\n1 goal<\/p>\n<p>The best of Joe Allen v <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WatfordFC\">@WatfordFC<\/a>: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/j6RVQu545z\">https:\/\/t.co\/j6RVQu545z<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oqc73DrHsJ\">pic.twitter.com\/oqc73DrHsJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LFC\/status\/729454087045947392\">May 8, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It seems increasingly unlikely that Joe Allen will be at Liverpool next season. Even ignoring his diminutive height and the fact that his injury record isn\u2019t exactly *amazing*, there\u2019s a strong chance that he will be the sixth or seventh choice midfielder and he\u2019s unlikely to be happy with that. Henderson, Can and James Milner are all likely to get the nod ahead of him, with Lazar Markovic retuning from his loan spell and Marko Grujic arriving to add to the names Klopp can pick from. That\u2019s without even considering whether Lallana, Coutinho and Firmino are to play in the middle of the park or further forward.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to understand, then, why Klopp isn\u2019t rushing to give the Welshman a new contract, regardless of how well he\u2019s been performing. He bosses midfields and closes and presses but he\u2019s still not quite good enough to make himself one of the first names on the manager\u2019s team sheet. We should, therefore, soak up these last few games we\u2019ve got with him in the team. As the saying goes, it\u2019s better to have loved then lost than never to have loved at all.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p>\nJoe Allen celebrates his opener with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jon_flan93\">@jon_flan93<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sheyi_ojo\">@sheyi_ojo<\/a>&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OYx5alvXLV\">pic.twitter.com\/OYx5alvXLV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LFC\/status\/729336208875212801\">May 8, 2016<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"\u201cutf-8&quot;\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>I dearly hope I\u2019m wrong, of course, and Liverpool Football Club announce that he\u2019s signed a new contract in the summer. But I don\u2019t think I am. If he does leave in the coming weeks or months I hope he doesn\u2019t consider his time at the club to have been a failure. He\u2019s won over his doubters, turned the game in our favour a number of times &#8211; not least against Dortmund at Anfield &#8211; and also scored a couple of good goals, including yesterday\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>With Rodgers almost certainly heading back to Swansea it\u2019s possible that Allen will re-join him there, but I hope he doesn\u2019t. It took him too long to escape the Northern Irishman\u2019s shadow at Liverpool but now that he has he should take his luxurious beard and flowing locks and push himself. He should head to Spain or Germany and become a metronome for a continental manager that knows how best to use him. Mostly, though, he should go with our thanks and praise ringing in his ears.<\/p>\n<h2>Ojo Is A Talent For The Future<\/h2>\n<p>Sheyi Ojo is still very young with an awful lot to learn. More than once against Watford he was pushed off the ball too easily or held on to it for too long. He needs to learn when to take a man on and when to look for a pass. He will discover how to be more deadly and what a step-up moving to the first team is when the games become more important.<\/p>\n<p>But bloody hell, the kid\u2019s got talent. When you compare and contrast him with Jordon Ibe he\u2019s got an excitement that his older teammate sadly lacks. You can feel a palpable expectation when he gets on the ball, with everyone seeming to know that he might mess up or he might do something extraordinary.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"und\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nTkUYj5Pg7\">pic.twitter.com\/nTkUYj5Pg7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 MB (@MrBoywunder) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MrBoywunder\/status\/729440245800939520\">May 8, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s ludicrous to compare players, of course it is. Stats can paint any picture you want them to if you use them properly, or improperly if we\u2019re being more accurate. Yet given how many thought Ibe would be the natural successor to Raheem Sterling, it\u2019s interesting to look at what our former winger has achieved at his new club compared to our upcoming one at our place.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Egidio-Arevalo-Rios-of-Uruguay-and-Raheem-Sterling-of-England_EUO_AGIF-shutterstock-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"Egidio Arevalo Rios of Uruguay and Raheem Sterling of England_EUO_AGIF-shutterstock\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Egidio-Arevalo-Rios-of-Uruguay-and-Raheem-Sterling-of-England_EUO_AGIF-shutterstock-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Egidio-Arevalo-Rios-of-Uruguay-and-Raheem-Sterling-of-England_EUO_AGIF-shutterstock-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Egidio-Arevalo-Rios-of-Uruguay-and-Raheem-Sterling-of-England_EUO_AGIF-shutterstock.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Sterling would be the first to admit that he\u2019s been off the boil at The Etihad, that things haven\u2019t quite worked out for him this season. Many fans and pundits alike also believe that the Jamaican born England international will come into his own under Pep Guardiola next season. Had he stayed at Anfield long enough to work with Klopp he would certainly have started more games than Ojo and probably have had more of an influence on them, too.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p>\nOjo created joint-most chances and completed joint-most dribbles whilst he was on the pitch <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LFC?src=hash\">#LFC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BassTunedToRed\/status\/729350113177505793\">May 8, 2016<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no point in looking back, however, and with Sterling gone and Ibe unlikely to make enough of an impact on the first XI to stay at the club past the summer, it\u2019s the next generation of exciting young players that we need to keep an eye on in the coming months, with Ojo leading the charge. He\u2019s under the stewardship of a manager who has a track record of helping talented youngsters go from full of potential to hitting a meteoric rise. The combination of the two of them working together means that days like yesterday will only get better and better in the future.<\/p>\n<h2>Firmino Strikes Again<\/h2>\n<p>What a funny player Roberto Firmino is. There are more than a couple of Liverpool supporters who are still unsure what he adds to the team, with the Brazilian prone to drifting in and out of games quite a lot of the time. When you compare his to his compatriot Philippe Coutinho you can discuss two players from a similar background who play in the same part of the pitch and yet offer completely different things to the squad.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_288\" style=\"width: 543px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-288\" class=\"size-large wp-image-288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Firmino-and-Lallana-Discuss-Mid-Game-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"Firmino\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Firmino-and-Lallana-Discuss-Mid-Game-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Firmino-and-Lallana-Discuss-Mid-Game-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Firmino-and-Lallana-Discuss-Mid-Game-65x50.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Firmino<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Coutinho is constantly looking for the ball, getting his head up and wanting to pick passes or thread through balls to an onrushing striker. His ball to Christian Benteke to nod down for the opener was exquisite, combining tremendous vision with excellent execution to devastating effect. He\u2019s the magician extraordinaire, capable of turning a game on its head and always getting involved in the best of Liverpool\u2019s attacking work.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Firmino is boss you know. Mad that some of you doubted him. He&#8217;s my player of the season.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamMcGuire90\/status\/729349335465533441\">May 8, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Firmino, meanwhile, is neither the player that knits all of our play together nor is he the type to sit on the shoulder of the last defender and burst behind the lines. He can play unbelievable passes one minute and then fail to find a player two foot in front of him the next. If you went to the toilet at the wrong time in a game, bought a drink at the wrong time in a game or went to eat a pie at the wrong time in a game you could leave wondering what exactly he brings to the team only to later find out he scored a hat-trick when you weren\u2019t watching.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no doubt that Heurelho Gomes should have done better with his shot, with the Watford \u2018keeper demonstrating the less reliable side of his game that we all remember from the past, rather than the sensational displays he\u2019s produced at times this season to help the Hornets maintain their Premier League status. Yet even if the Brazilian in goal could have done more to stop his fellow countryman from scoring, the fact is that Firmino was willing to take the shot on and did enough to see it hit the back of the net.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p>\nLFC players to score 10 or more PL goals in their 1st full season:<br \/>\nFowler, Collymore, Owen, Heskey, Kuyt, Torres, Suarez, Sturridge, FIRMINO<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 reverse_ball (@reverse_ball) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reverse_ball\/status\/729354284727345152\">May 8, 2016<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also a perfectly valid argument to suggest that his ability to drift in and out of games is precisely what makes him such a dangerous player. He isn\u2019t a straightforward lad who the opposition can just mark out of the game as we\u2019ve seen happen to the likes of Coutinho and Sturridge in the past. He can punish you from anywhere and do so when you\u2019re least expecting it. He will almost certainly only get better as he gets more and more used to the Premier League, too.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_291\" style=\"width: 475px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-291\" class=\"size-large wp-image-291\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Roberto-Firmino-On-The-Anfield-Turf-465x400.jpg\" alt=\"Firmino\" width=\"465\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Roberto-Firmino-On-The-Anfield-Turf-465x400.jpg 465w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Roberto-Firmino-On-The-Anfield-Turf-232x200.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Firmino<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Perhaps his season can be explained as being like a microcosm of Liverpool\u2019s season in general. He\u2019s played brilliant at times and poorly at others, with the future looking bright the more he understands the English game and gets to grips with what his manager demands from him. He\u2019s produced the good in the games when it\u2019s mattered and could yet pick up a winner\u2019s medal from Europe before the campaign is over.<\/p>\n<p>Chelsea and West Brom are the remaining games we need to get out of the way before we head to Basel, with the remaining Premier League games little more than a pointless distraction in a season that has become Europe or bust for J\u00fcrgen Klopp and his men in red.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yesterday feels like an age ago already. Who did we play? What was the score? What was the point? Let\u2019s be honest, despite J\u00fcrgen\u2019s promise that his players are focussed on nothing but the match right in front of them, all eyes are now firmly fixed on Basel. Did yesterday help us learn anything? Are we more informed than we were before kick-off? Or is it just a matter of getting another meaningless game out of the way before we pack our bags and head off to Europe again? Allen Bosses The Midfield Once More I\u2019ve long been banging the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":475,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474\/revisions\/475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}