Liverpool set up against Crystal Palace with the crucial
midweek clash against Hoffenheim in mind. A significantly weakened starting
eleven was fielded: Lovren, Moreno, Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Can were all
notable absentees. By and large, the deputies put in a decent shift – Joe Gomez
and Andrew Robertson were particularly impressive at full-back, and Ragnar
Klavan looked assured aside from one dreadful moment against Loftus-Cheek.
However, the introduction of Salah was needed to make the attack look genuinely
potent: not until he and Solanke came on did Liverpool finally get the
breakthrough. From there, they remained comfortably on top and recorded a
narrow but deserved win.
Nobody could criticise Klopp’s desire to rest key players
ahead of Wednesday: the second leg of the Champions League playoff is the most
important game for the club since the Europa League final against Sevilla, so
it made sense to keep as many players as possible fresh. However, the lack of
additions so far this window was thrown into stark relief by the situation that
this left the team in: removing just a few starters left a side littered with
players who have no business lining up for a team with title ambitions. Milner
in midfield was just about the only way to field a central three with less
creativity than at Watford, Klavan can do a job when called upon but is prone
to getting bullied, and Gomez is still very young and was played out of his
natural position. The only two players to come in who represent very strong
squad options were Sturridge and Robertson – Sturridge would be a luxury for
any side to be able to bring in, and Robertson will most likely make himself
the first-choice left-back in the near future. This kind of depth is required
across the pitch if the squad are to genuinely challenge on multiple fronts
this season, and Klopp must therefore look at making more signings before the
September 1st deadline.
Fortunately, even the weakened team had enough about them to
get past Palace. Sadio Mane was one of the first-teamers to retain his place,
and he was vital: he constantly looked likely to make things happen, and indeed
was the one to eventually beat Wayne Hennessey. When on the left, he linked up
very well with debutant Andrew Robertson – the new signing from Hull was
equally impressive. Particularly in the first half, which was bereft of
invention for the most part, he was the only one creating chances; his
deliveries were consistently excellent, and only a dreadful miss from Matip
denied him an assist. On the other flank, Gomez was also quietly impressive.
There were far fewer marauding runs – understandable given that Gomez is
naturally a central defender – but it was encouraging to see him look at home
in the Premier League. The promising youngster had an injury-plagued campaign
last time out, but thankfully appears to have picked up where he left off. His
intervention early in the second half was vital, as he did just enough to put Benteke
off in front of goal. This was only required because Klavan had been
comprehensively beaten by Loftus-Cheek moments before, but in fairness to the
Estonian this was the only blip in an otherwise strong performance. It would be
madness to suggest that he is good enough for a regular spot in the first team,
but it was telling that the back line was generally much calmer without the
presence of Lovren. An elite partner for Matip (ideally, of course, Virgil Van
Dijk) may well finally give Liverpool the competent defence they have needed
for years.
It was also encouraging to see effective substitutions from
Klopp. He has been much criticised for leaving it too late to make changes, but
acted in good time this time out to ensure that the team got the win. Of
course, this is easier to do when half of the usual starters are available off
the bench: Salah will not regularly be deployed as an impact sub, a role he
played to good effect. His pace and skill added a new dimension to the attack,
and he was unlucky not to get himself a goal. However, the other important
change saw Solanke introduced – he was not one of the regular starters to be
dropped for Palace’s visit, and ‘super-sub’ is likely to be a part he is asked
to play quite regularly. As such, it was excellent to see that he had a big
hand in the goal. Having replaced the frustratingly poor Wijnaldum, it was a
matter of minutes before he made the difference; he used his physicality to
contest for the ball on the edge of the box, and it broke for Mane to finish
composedly. Based on what he has shown so far, Solanke is one of those rare
breeds of target man that can also function effectively in Liverpool’s system –
he therefore provides a ‘Plan B’ that doesn’t make the side look horribly
dysfunctional, and this could be invaluable over the course of the campaign.
Origi was introduced at Watford, and was anonymous: his squad position is
undoubtedly under threat from the man who is looking more and more like a steal
with each passing day.
In short, the game largely confirmed what everyone already
knew about Liverpool: the first team are very strong going forward, and the defence
is a signing away from at least passing as competent, but beyond the regular
eleven there is a worrying lack of depth. The problem has been highlighted by
the joint absence of Lallana and Coutinho, which has left a midfield in dire
need of a creative influence. Nonetheless, the overall result was a positive
one: multiple young players continued to show that they can step up when called
upon, and ultimately the three points vindicated Klopp’s decision to rest
players for Hoffenheim’s visit.
- Follow me on Twitter
@JamesMartin013
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