A korner turned?

This feels like a big win. On paper obviously, it’s three points against a very good and in form Brighton team but it was the performance, as much as the result, that somehow feels seismic. That’s the most complete performance I’ve seen from a Liverpool team in well over a year.

We started fast, our pressing was excellent and we forced Brighton into errors but we’ve done that before in some games recently but failed to take advantage of them. The difference today was that we looked dangerous every time we attacked, our players looked in sync and on the same wavelength and I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched us and felt the team all knew what they were supposed to be doing and it actually working. Last season I bemoaned over and over that we didn’t have a system, I had no idea what the plan was meant to be and it didn’t look like the players did either. Today we had a plan and you could see the players buying into it.

That was the liveliest I’ve seen Isak in a Liverpool shirt, his movement was superb, he was pressing well and despite his excellent recent goal scoring form, today was the first time I saw the player that used to terrify me so much when we played Newcastle. He looked threatening throughout and was rewarded with a goal, once again showing the elite finishing we paid the big bucks for, which brings us nicely onto another player it seemed to click for today – Bradley Barcola.

I criticised his anonymity in games recently but he was anything but today. He was busy and threatening throughout but what I really liked about his performance today, was it seemed like the penny had dropped about PL football and for the first time he showed some physicality and aggression, summed up by the way he won the ball before his assist for Isak. Didn’t get on the scoresheet but a really good display from our new wide man.

On the other flank, Gakpo didn’t manage to record a goal or assist but I thought he was excellent again, lively and dangerous throughout. I hope his new found form is him proving a point to stay at LFC and not playing for a move but either way, if he keeps it up it can only be good for us this season.

That brings us to Wirtz. Nobody has been under more pressure than him in recent months, it’s a lot for a young lad of 22 and I feared for him a few weeks back, as his confidence looked absolutely shot to bits. Slowly but surely in the last few games though, he’s started to impact games with goals/assists in four consecutive games and you could see the increased confidence today. He was everywhere in the first 25 minutes as we ran Brighton ragged, played a wonderful ball to Isak that the Swede was unable to control, before it being his deflected shot that opened the scoring. Typical of his luck, it was awarded an OG but will still help increase his confidence more. I just pray that’s not another injury just as he’s building some momentum though, as happened last season. His form in recent games though, does beg the question of whether him and Szoboszlai are suited to playing in the same midfield, or perhaps should be rotated for each other when everyone is fit.

Macca and Gravenberch’s improved form continued and Nyoni put in another good cameo, including a fantastic block to deny a sure goal.

What I really enjoyed about today’s performance though, was how much we’d improved at both ends of the pitch. Our attack looked lethal first half but we came out second half unsure whether to stick or twist, played more conservatively and that allowed Brighton to get on top but we defended resolutely. Jaquet and Virgil’s partnership continues to blossom, Kerkez looks more assured but we really have to pay huge credit to Big Ronald…

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say Ron has been transformative for the team since being installed at RB. He’s massively firmed up our right flank defensively but he’s also a really good footballer and has made the difference in attack on a few occasions now as well. When we signed him, he was being described as a player who was mentally broken and who’s confidence at Barca was so shot that he really needed a change and that may well have been the case but the change certainly seems to have worked, as he’s been superb. He won a number of trophies at Barca but this is a player who belongs in the Premier League, his skillset and style of play is absolutely tailor made for the PL, while being a really good footballer at the same time. I said in the thread that I assume the only thing stopping the announcement we’re making his loan deal permanent is we’ll wait until the end of the season, just in case he picks up a serious injury in that time. I’ll be amazed if we don’t plan on signing him up and I’m sure in private he’ll have been assured that if nothing changes between now and the end of the season, he’ll be a Liverpool player by the time preseason starts next year. Big Ronald is this week’s McMOTM.

I can’t remember the last time I wrote a post match article with such optimism. We know how much quality we have in the team but something really seemed to click today, in a way that isn’t fluke. You can have a fluke brilliant pass and run but you can’t fluke intricate little passes and flicks, passes into space where you don’t have to look, you just know there’s going to be a runner… that can’t be fluked.

A good birthday present from the lads then, to finish off a thoroughly enjoyable week. Walk on!