Topic: FT Middlesbrough 0 v Liverpool 3 (Lallana 28' 68' Origi 60)

[Kekule]

Amazing result considering that, according to some bellends on here last Sunday, we weren't going to win again this year.  I'm sure we won't be hearing from them tonight.

Up to 2nd. One, other or both of Arsenal and City dropping points this weekend. Important three points.

[Kop307]

Very good all round performance - is that our first win in the highlighter shirts? Lallana was terrific, as was the entire back five. It could simply have to do with Middlesbrough being weak going forward but the difference between Mignolet and Karius felt like night and day. That save from Fischer was excellent but I really liked how when it went to a corner straight afterwards, Mignolet gave the Boro player trying to block him off a good push forward. I don't know if he's going to be the long term choice but we definitely need someone who has that authority in the box.

The only place it seemed things didn't click was in attack, which is strange to say in a 3-0 win, but it felt like we lacked some fluency up front compared to when Coutinho is in the team. Mane ran their defence ragged but he couldn't seem to put it away, it's a good thing Lallana's found his shooting boots. Special mention to Origi too, five in five is it now?

Palace away.

[heylookitsjacob]

Added to that Firmino hasn't been nowhere as good as he has been this season in these games.

I'm not sure if that's unrelated to the Coutinho absence. . Does anyone have any stats on how well Firmino does with and without Coutinho?

[TepidT2O]

Klopp on Origi: "I don't think he is injured."
 

Thank god

[Sarge]

Better but my only worry is dept in the squad but better. Injuries aside we need more experienced players in the squad.

[Gifted Right Foot]

What a performance, especially the second half.  What a quality team goal for Origis.  What a player Lallana is. 

Nice to see our goal difference swing back in our favour again.  First team to score 40 league goals in the season.  8 goals in 3 league games without Coutinho is it?  Not bad  .

[Reese]

So what bannable phrases can we add to the RAWK lexicon?

"We can't win/keep a clean sheet without Matip"
"Clyne can't cross"
"Gini is technically unspectacular"

I'm sure there are a few more. 

That 2nd goal was something out of the Dortmund Highlight Reel under Klopp.

Oh and yes, we smashed Palace in the highlighters too!

[Crackerjack Sam]

Job done and we won.
Bring on the Toffees, yum yum yum!

[SerbianScouser]

I'm not sure if that's unrelated to the Coutinho absence. . Does anyone have any stats on how well Firmino does with and without Coutinho?

For me it's about his position rather then Phil's presence. When he plays centrally and receives the ball with his back to the goal he has options on either sides and he has both Gini and Lallana very close to play one-touch football with. In wide areas his options are much more limited which makes him less effective. His best football is centrally where he can use his play-making skills to open up defences with his array of flicks, tricks etc.

[pyroparty]

Also congrats to Boro. We're keeping you up.

As I said last weekend. We wont win until the new year. Another season, same mediocrity, same mental weakness.

You are quiet fella.

[Crackerjack Sam]

Mane doesn't stop running. Lallana is a baller.
And Klopp, does what Klopp does.
MOTM - Lallana/Origi

Klav was great also.

Well in Migs

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

Think this win is as important as the ones away to Arsenal and Chelsea. Middlesborough has always been a prick of a place to play but play we did. Lallana was immense. Big ups to Mignolet, too. Big character from the big man. Very happy for him.

Will post more later. Just made up with this. Just what the doctor ordered.

[JG6]

Haven't seen the game at all but great result, well in redmen. Huge win given the mini blip and injuries, very impressive.

[SenorGarcia]

Weirdly didn't think we played that well and yet we scored 3.
What I would say is we controlled the whole game.
Exciting stuff.

[Wabaloolah]

For me it's about his position rather then Phil's presence. When he plays centrally and receives the ball with his back to the goal he has options on either sides and he has both Gini and Lallana very close to play one-touch football with. In wide areas his options are much more limited which makes him less effective. His best football is centrally where he can use his play-making skills to open up defences with his array of flicks, tricks etc.

he played more central in the 2nd half, almost as a 2nd striker, and I thought he looked a lot better

[SerbianScouser]

he played more central in the 2nd half, almost as a 2nd striker, and I thought he looked a lot better

Exactly, hopefully we'll translate that 2nd half football to Goodison.

[Crackerjack Sam]

he played more central in the 2nd half, almost as a 2nd striker, and I thought he looked a lot better

Spot on. He more or less spearheads that midfield 3

[TheShanklyGates]

Sorry I know it's Wednesday but only 5 pages after a 3-0 win?

Wasn't on telly and the streams were unreliable, I suspect a lot of people didn't/couldn't watch it.

[heylookitsjacob]

For me it's about his position rather then Phil's presence.

I think you've got a point. Anecdotally, I think his positioning when Coutinho is on the field is so much more fluid and situational. My comment was to prompt conversation and hopefully have someone do the hard work collecting his stats w/ and w/out coutinho so we could do some actual analysis.

[Studgotelli]

people only have something to say after a loss or a draw where we should have won, many don't post after a win as they love a moan. Personally I'm the other way around, rarely post after a loss

Its a strange world we live in.

[Rush 82]

First half was pretty slow but we took it up a gear after the break and Boro no match for us. Some brilliant football too. Well done Reds and travelling Kop superb!

I much prefer it actually.

Throws the opposition's gameplan.

[skipper757]

Spectacular second half. First half was good but that second half was something else.

Started off so fast and on another day, Mane might've had a goal or 2. Then, two lovely goals from Origi and Lallana, and we shut up shop from there. Really good performance.

[plura]

Thank you very much for that! Great to see. A super win for the team, to hopefully put us back in a very successful onwards momentum.
Also nice to win a few Ł on Liverpool winning and scoring 3! Better that than all those peeps betting against Liverpool.

[Garnier]

That was beautiful . Controlled the match and was pretty comfortable.

Lovely 

Onwards and upwards

[the_red_pill]

Its a strange world we live in.

Strange you lot don't get some of these matches on the telly. Where I'm at- all of tonight's matches were on so there deffo shoulda been more OOCers at least.

[Garnier]

Also, Sadio Mané. How the hell are we going to replace his contribution when he goes to afcon? What a man

[swoopy]

Great game and performance

Now, more importantly, is the fan who was carried out OK?

[the_red_pill]

Also, Sadio Mané. How the hell are we going to replace his contribution when he goes to afcon? What a man

We'll finda way, don't worry. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Coutinho's back during Jan and then we'll have Origi free.

[the good half]

Not the right thread I know; but one look at that bench and you think: one or two proper January buys needed badly

[daggerdoo]

Great win today. I didn't see it turning out like that, but over the moon we got back to the fluent, attacking ways we were seeing earlier on.
Something i've been meaning to bring up on here for a while though is the basic passes in to feet/stride. I'm looking at the way our midfielders, in particular, are playing the ball. It seems like they are being coached to play the ball square or slightly behind the player they're picking out, instead of playing the ball in to the stride of the player.
Is this something that has been going on forever, the norm? It really frustrates me!

[harryc]

4 shots on target, 3 goals and one off the post. Not bad at all.

Don't worry the statto's will be along soon to show its impossible to win with only 4 shots on target

[Chakan]

Not the right thread I know; but one look at that bench and you think: one or two proper January buys needed badly

Swap the bench players with all the injuries and we have a formidable team.

[sms1986]

Great game and performance

Now, more importantly, is the fan who was carried out OK?

I can't find any latest news on them, but hopefully they are. I saw a tweet just then posted about a minute ago where someone says they're at the hospital with him and they're fine but I can't say it's real or not (looking at his twitter feed, I doubt it but if anyone knows his name then they might be able to verify it) -

Craig ‏@_CraigSumner  55s55 seconds ago
@JamesPearceEcho in the ozzy with him now. He is fine. St Johns were brilliant in the ground.

[goalspaytherent]

Yes we scored 3 , again , and it could have been 4/5/6 ....but they attacked us on numerous occasions and, with a bit more luck or individual fuck ups , could have scored 4/5/6 ......

I'm not happy .....and Chelsea won as well

[Paul_h]

Also, Sadio Mané. How the hell are we going to replace his contribution when he goes to afcon? What a man

arguably, the most exciting player to watch in the league

[Gerry Attrick]

This is the second time Mignolet has responded positively to being dropped. We can debate his quality but he has a lot of character.

[TheShanklyGates]

This is the second time Mignolet has responded positively to being dropped. We can debate his quality but he has a lot of character.

Especially because he didn't really do a lot wrong to get dropped this time around unlike the last time when Rodgers played Jones ahead of him.

[daggerdoo]

This is the second time Mignolet has responded positively to being dropped. We can debate his quality but he has a lot of character.

Have to agree, plus he's a quality keeper. Best sub keeper in the league, if he stays a sub.

[Alf]

Outstanding performance from Adam Lallana and 5 in 5 for Origi. Back to winning ways with a clean sheet, happy days.

[McSquared]

Nice win, nice goals, nice clean sheet. Nice.