Liverpool vs Burnley Player Ratings by Stephen Ward and Jason Kennedy

Jason: The day started well, got to AJ Hudson’s around 8:30am for the 11:30 kickoff.  First Carlsberg at 10:30ish. After the match immediately to Wrigley and the Cubs game where they kept a clean sheet for themselves (Liverpool still outscored the Brewers though so there’s that). A long day of sports and beer, or as I call it, Saturday.

Woody: PTI has a segment called big deal, little deal, or no deal?  Late last season my barber said LFC would have to sell Mane or Salah because they don’t like each other; he said you can see it on the pitch.  This guy has games on in his shop all day, every day from all over the world on a possibly legal internet feed.  I didn’t agree with him then and I don’t now, but I also knew he wasn’t just talking out of his ass.  Look, Sadio cleans toilets at the Mosque and Mo takes selfies with mobs that gather outside his house.  This isn’t exactly Liam and Noel Gallagher from the crap club up the road.  We have the right guys to work this out, but it does need working out.  So big deal, little deal, or no deal?  It seems like a little deal.  And we sincerely hope so because it’s not no deal.

On another note, Burnley watered the pitch and played expansive, positive football.  What was this?  What a pleasant surprise.  It was like having to fight John Terry… but at Shakespeare trivia.  Sean Dyche might lose his honorary membership in the loan shark collectors’ union.  They had no chance.  Turf less.

Adrian – 7.75

Woody: 7.5 Some good saves.  Nothing too crazy.  Let’s give Divock two starts against Everton, watch him score two hat tricks on Prickford, and then sell them Adrian in the summer for 20 million pounds.

Jason: 8. I thought he was solid for us. Good saves (even for offside chances). We now have the International break where we hope Alisson is camped out at Melwood for treatment.

Trent – 8.25

W: 8. Robbo had a little word with the officials to make sure that went down as an own goal.  TAA gets better and better at actual defending while getting bolder and bolder in attack.  Great dribbling to link up with Mo late.  Captain’s armband 2023-2030.

J: 8.5. He completely “Shassed” that goal. It was perhaps the best Shass ever and I’ve seen Daniel Sturridge play. Everyone at AJs laughed at it. It was so incredibly perfect on so many levels. A shame it went in the books as an OG. BTW Shass definition can be found at https://meninblazers.mywikis.net/wiki/Shass

Virgil van Dijk – 8

W: 8. He should enter one of those shepherding contests in Scotland.  He could stand there and whistle Robbo where to go to move those little terriers around.  Loved watching him win header after header from Chris Wood.

J: 8.Can we talk about his recent trip to Monaco where he won about everything? That was fantastic and well deserved.  Can we also talk about this pic?

I mean he’s an action hero. Pure and simple. James Bond would get eliminated by this guy.  Oh, he was standard amazing at Turf Moor.

Matip – 7.5

W: 7. Solid.  I would have liked to see Gomez get a chance to clatter somebody, but oh well.

J: 8. I mean the guy has pillows for feet. I have yet to get tired mentioning this fact. He has really become something special with VVD. JoGo has his work cut out to get onto the first squad. Degsey weeps silently. We still love you Degsey

Robertson – 7.5

W: 7. He earned a potato scone today, but didn’t quite earn a curry.

J: 8. As the geniuses at The Anfield Wrap said “he’s the best fullback in the world. Trent doesn’t count in this, by the way. He is transcending positions at the minute.” I mean that’s the God’s honest truth. About them both. Robbo was very lively.

Fabinho – 7.25

W: 7. Some midfielders are box to box; he’s goal to goal.  It was great to see him marauding forward, but when we play real teams he’ll need to focus on his tackling.

J: 7.5. He was much better and effective in the second half which earned a .5 bump from me.

Wijnaldum – 7

W: 7. Our midfield is full of just solid, versatile dependable guys.  It’s a little boring but it works for now.  

J: 7. Ran almost as much as Hendo. Was solid and dependable in offense and defense.

Hendo – 7.5

W: 7. It was nice when he got caught on camera yelling FFS.  Imagine how many times a day Jordan Henderson says FFS.  Spills a coffee, FFS.  Stuck in traffic, FFS.   Gets called up to England and has to talk to Harry Kane, FFS.

J: 8. The FFS was fantastic. The crowd at AJs loved it. Hendo was a machine. Covered a ton of distance in the 71mins he was on the pitch.

Mane – 8.25

W: 8. Should have assisted.  Scored.  Should have scored again.  Once I was at a baseball game with a good friend.  A foul ball caromed off the boxes and dropped gently to me.  I had time and space on the aisle to easily cradle the ball with two hands.  My friend reached over me with a one hand stab and knocked it away 8 inches before I caught it.  We’re still friends but we don’t go to baseball games together anymore.  I’ve still never caught a foul ball.  Make your peace with Mo.  You guys will score plenty of goals together.

J: 8.5. He’s really good. Really, really good. I loved his passion and that he was fired up at Mo. I am betting Mo sends his goodwill ambassador Dejan with some coffee to make peace. Good to have some spirit within the squad. Can’t always be smiling…

Mo – 7.875 (WTF is this rating?)

W: 7.5 He could have scored a cracker earlier had Burnley started Joe Hart instead of Nick Pope.  And he should have scored on the ball from Hendo.  He was frustrated and looking for goal.  His decision to go for goal didn’t give us our best chance, but it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.  He was sure he was going to score.  Sometimes it’s good to apologize even if you might not have been wrong.

J: 8.25: I get it, Sadio is mad at you. It will be fine. “Post” made a great save on his first shot. Mo made a great assist to Bobby for the goal. Mo was unlucky not to have scored (and yes he should have passed to Sadio but its international break time… so bygones should be bygones)

Firmino – 9.125 Man of the Match (and since we are now going to three decimel places)

W: 9. It’s so great to see Bobby score because he ALWAYS deserves a goal for all he does for the team.  Oh, and he has the best goal celebrations.  He ran with the ball down the center of the pitch at least 4 times and had to be laughing.  This can’t be Burnley, right?  

J: 9.25. Good lord, he’s a reliable 8-8.5 most days but yesterday he was on another level. His assist to Sadio was a beauty. He was the engine yesterday. Bless him and those chompers.

Subs

Ox – 7.5

W:. 7.5 He looked a lot better, more comfortable, and like himself.  He didn’t exactly impact the game but there were signs.  He might have been our best midfielder.

J: 7.5. Thought he looked really comfortable in his 20mins out there subbing for Hendo. Get him, Naby, Shaq and Milly in rotation… that’s a midfield that can win a lot of games and trophies. Makes me weep for Wee Joe Allen.

Origi and Shaq – N/A

W: I did expect one of them to score even though they only got a few minutes.

J: I also expected both of them to score. Even in limited action.

International break.  Stay healthy, lads.