Out Of The Blocks
Ipswich Town looked like a greyhound bursting out from the starting gate at the early kick this Saturday. In those first fifteen minutes, Liverpool looked like the newly promoted side. The Reds struggled to settle under the constant pressure. There were times throughout as Liverpool sought to implement the new Slot Ball gameplan, it felt like we were one missed touch or lost possession from going behind. By half time Liverpool felt calmer. Slot made some astute managerial moves like pulling Quansah for Konate. In the end, the Reds roared back to end 2-0 winners on the day.
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That Sinking Feeling
For one half of football, it felt like the Liverpool of the recent past was at the helm. We would go behind early to Ipswich like we did league-leading 21 times last season. We also salvaged the most points from losing positions. But that’s not a style of football you want to become your trademark. Yes, title-winning teams are defined by winning consistently no matter the situation. Nevertheless, there is a heavier mental tax to fight through when you are constantly playing catch up. I’m glad we saw some resilience to dig deep and to man the trenches. We held off a furious attack from a team that hit 92 goals in their successful promotional run. I’m also glad we saw this early. Other Premier League teams will undoubtedly sense blood in the water after that first-half performance.
Unafraid Of A Call Out
What I also like about this situation is Slot called it out in his post-match presser. He pointed out that the first half was not a good one. The pressure applied forced the Quansah substitution. The response was what we needed. An acknowledgment of the nerves we as a fan base had, and a reassurance that Slot is the man to make the necessary changes to bring the best out of the time. Because he did.
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The second half showed Liverpool’s version of Slot Ball at its finest. Salah became the outright opening day scorer and provided the assist to Jota’s opening goal. Trent was assured at right back, restored to that role. Time and time again he played balls on a string to our attacking trio. There is so much excitement around this team and this new era. That positivity is rightly drowning out the worries created by an off-kilter start.
The questions remain whether or not this will be a rebuild along with a restyle. Will we address the perennial number 6 issue? Will key contract renewals be sorted out? Those still need answers. But with Slot at the helm, the stars seem revitalized and if we get more of that second half this year: I’ll take it.
