Liverpool held again- but are they being over criticised?

Ah, so it wasn’t just Henderon’s fault all along.

Was Liverpool’s clash with Everton at Goodison park that different to almost all of the Reds’ visits to the ground under Jurgen Klopp?

Last season they pummelled the Toffees, but Everton absolutely stank the place out. They were dreadful. On Saturday, as much as I hate to give them credit, they played well- certainly a lot better than last season.

Still, despite that, Liverpool could have put three or four past them on another day. They hit the woodwork three times, and Jordan Pickford pulled off some exceptional saves.

In fact, if we look back at the derbies (away), this was the second best performance from Liverpool, up against Everton’s finest, since Klopp took charge.

The German’s first visit to Goodison was the last minute winner from Mane, which if you recall, was a rebound after a shot that hit the post. Perhaps, if Liverpool were a bit more fortunate on the weekend, one of the many shots that hit the woodwork would have fallen in a similar way.

Mane’s late winner preceded a spree of forgettable bore draws against Everton, in which not a lot happened. Then there was the 3-3 officiating farce, which was probably a similar game to the 0-0 on the weekend, except both sides were more clinical, and Liverpool had Adrian in goal.

My point is, it’s unfair to group this performance with the poor showings against Fulham and Manchester United to say that Liverpool are in crisis. It’s such fine margins.

There is so much criticism on how Salah is being used, but he is so incredibly close to wining the game for Liverpool at the end. If that goes in, you don’t hear anything about him not being used properly. Those questioning his commitment following his new contract need to think again, or watch again. Watch how he sprints back from the corner to defend for Maupay’s chance.

I was frustrated with how he wasn’t in the game at all in the first half, but he was getting in far more dangerous positions in the second half, albeit he was usually crowded out. The Egyptian is constantly being marked by at least two players, which makes life very difficult for him.

It does mean, however, that there should be space somewhere else. You can’t expect Salah to score incredible solo goals every week, although he did somehow manage to do it in two consecutive weeks last season.

Ultimately, it’s a very simplistic analysis to suggest his head is the wrong place because of his contract and that’s why he hasn’t scored as many goals as you might have expected six games in.

Unlike the games against Fulham and Manchester United, I was very encouraged by how good the Reds were on the ball. Diaz is one of the unluckiest players I’ve ever seen, but I feel he will get a huge number of goals once his fortune changes.

When Liverpool visited Everton during their so called peak years in terms of offensive play, they didn’t create anywhere near as many chances as they did on Saturday. If you must criticise Liverpool for their play on the ball, the most justifiable argument you could make is poor finishing. Even then, I think the Reds were on the most part, very unlucky.

I can understand knee jerk reactions, as I was also very frustrated both during and after the game. But upon watching it back, it’s painful to see how harsh our fans are being on the team. They weren’t shit. They aren’t shit. The season isn’t over. I’m absolutely convinced the post match discourse on Twitter would have been the same had Liverpool lost. But as Jurgen Klopp said: “If you’re not going to win the derby, don’t lose it.”

Where Liverpool can be criticised to a certain extent is for their play off the ball. My biggest gripe with the performance was the persistent and unnecessary fouling. Several times, Everton players were trapped and looking for a foul either to break the Reds’ momentum, or to get themselves out of a press, and Liverpool played into their hands.

In fairness, I think a lot of the shortcomings can be attributed to a degree of lethargy. Harvey Elliott in particular looked leggy. The fouls were tired fouls. A big part of this is the injuries; Jota looked very lively and sharp when we came on. Compare him to someone like Harvey Elliott who’s probably been overplayed, and that’s not anyones fault. Apart from, potentially his fault, for being good.

When I talk about shortcomings off the ball, I don’t mean the defending. Liverpool were solid defensively, more than they have been in recent weeks.

The only times Everton opened them up was using pace on the counter attack from corners. Liverpool had practically gone gung-ho at this point, piling on the forwards to try and win the game. The issue was that they didn’t win the second balls, and by that I mean Antony Gordon and Demarai Gray were able to stroll past James Milner like a Ferrari overtaking a tractor.

Jurgen Klopp made a mistake putting Milner at right back, because Jurgen Klopp is human. Unlike many managers who may have been too arrogant or stubborn, he rectified the issue before it was too late.

There was also the Tom Davies chance, which was as a result of a ricochet falling perfectly, and there was the double deflected shot from McNeil, which sprouted from a lovely passage of play from Everton, which I have to say I didn’t know they were capable of, so fair play.

But the point still stands that Liverpool’s defending was strong, and that was a relief to see considering that they have Napoli, Chelsea, Arsenal, and of course Manchester City, in the next few games.

This isn’t a crisis. At least not yet. If Liverpool continue to drop points at this rate, the title will very soon run away from them. It’s worrying that these points have been dropped and they’ve only played one of the top six.

However, it looks like a degree of competitiveness and unpredictability has been reignited in the Premier League. Indeed, this isn’t exclusive to Liverpool. At the moment, it looks like the days of an imperious Liverpool controlling and winning every match are behind us. But Manchester City managed to drop points against Aston Villa. They’ve played non of the top six, yet they are only five points ahead.

Liverpool didn’t “choose this season to be shit.” It’s harder, and it’s wild. This should be celebrated from an entertainment point of view. Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford, only to beat Liverpool and then a strong Arsenal side a few weeks later.

The title race has been blown wide open and at this stage it looks like we are in for a cracker of a season, a viewpoint which counters the claims that the Premier League is turning into the Bundesliga. The next five league games for Liverpool, with players returning to fitness, will tell you a lot about what lies ahead for the Reds’ season. It’s time to show the league that this team is ready for a fight.