by Victor Meldrew »
11 Nov 2019 13:22
Hoop Blah Royality creeps In The scousers have been lucky with injuries and decisions.
A full strength City side would probably have one that. The back up defenders for City are not as good.
Stones for example was and is, dreadful.
Lucky with injuries?
They've had their £50m+ goalkeeper out inured for half the season so far and had to sign West Ham's ex-third choice keeper as cover because their other keepers weren't fit either.
Gomez, who would be first choice alongside VvD if fit and in form, hasn't recovered from his injury yet and his replacement, Matip, was missing yesterday, having been injured for most of the last 6 weeks, meaning they're playing their 4th choice centre back.
Salah has been carrying an injury for most of the season but seems to be playing around it. He's not been at his best this season.
City were missing their best centre half and keeper yesterday, and have struggled for centre halfs this season because both Stones and Laporte got injured at the same time. Stones is though, in theory, part of their first choice back four but is, like Gomez, not back to his best after injury but because City didn't replace Kompany, and haven't blooded their young talent enough over the last couple of seasons, they're way too short in that department. That's not luck, it's bad management.
Was anyone else missing for City? Silva was in the bench, but I'm not sure if that was tactical or because he's carrying a knock or needed resting.
A very good summary Hoops.
As an aside, Kompany in the studio not only spoke better English than most English footballers but also was worth listening to.
He made the point that in his time one of the reasons why City didn't win games at Anfield was that they never could deal with the physical side of Liverpool's midfield.
It was the same yesterday with the likes of De Bruyne, Mendy, Gundogan and Rodri (and in previous seasons the wonderful David Silva) unable to cope with the energy and physicality of Liverpool's midfield 3 of Henderson, Wilnajdum and Fabinho, often joined by the equally hard-working Mane and Firminho.
One other thing-Sterling.
In recent days there has been talk of him going to Real Madrid, earning something like £500,000 per week and now being almost up there with Messi and Ronaldo in ability.
Really?
I know yesterday was a difficult game for him but considering he had a lot of the ball, especially late on, he wasn't IMHO that effective and certainly on that showing not entitled to be mentioned in the same breath as Messi and Ronaldo, two of the game's all-time greats.
Playing at Liverpool with Suarez and Coutinho and then at City alongside their great attacking players he gets so many chances it is no wonder he is up amongst the top goalscorers-IMHO he is not a very good finisher but, with his pace, he does get into good finishing positions.
A good player but still a long way off being great.