I’ll take the result all day long.
Liverpool 2-1 Atlético Madrid.
A Champions League win, three points on the board and another victory for Andoni Iraola.
But if I’m being completely honest, I thought the performance was pretty mediocre for large parts of the game.
Liverpool showed character to come from behind and get the win, but there are still plenty of things that need improving.
And I’ve got a few strong opinions after watching that one.
Give Mac Allister a new contract!
Let’s start with the obvious one.
Alexis Mac Allister was excellent.
For me, he is comfortably the best No.6 Liverpool have got.
And that goal was absolutely superb.
A 20-yard strike into the corner when Liverpool needed somebody to step up.
That’s what Mac Allister gives you.
Composure.
Intelligence.
Technical quality.
And now goals like that.
Liverpool need to sort out his contract situation because I want Mac Allister staying at Anfield for a long time.
He is too important to this team.
Alisson is still the best
That save at 1-0 was massive.
There are moments in games when you can almost feel the importance of a goalkeeper making one big intervention.
That was one of them.
If Atlético score again, Liverpool have a mountain to climb.
Instead, Alisson kept the game alive.
And this is why I still believe he is the best goalkeeper around.
We sometimes take him for granted because he has been so good for so long.
We shouldn’t.
Kerkez is becoming a liability
I’m sorry, but I’m really struggling with Milos Kerkez.
He looks completely brainless defensively at times.
He gets caught out, makes rash decisions and leaves Liverpool vulnerable.
Yes, he has energy.
Yes, he wants to get forward.
But Liverpool cannot have a full-back constantly putting the defence under unnecessary pressure.
For me, Liverpool still need another left-back.
Kerkez can improve, obviously.
But right now, I don’t trust him defensively.
🇺🇾 Araújo has been excellent at right-back
On the other side, Ronald Araújo has been superb.
I really like what I’m seeing from him at right-back.
And that assist tonight?
Cafu-esque.
That was some ball.
Araújo gives Liverpool something completely different from a traditional attacking full-back.
He can defend.
He can deal with physical battles.
He can step inside.
And he can still produce moments of quality going forward.
I honestly think he could become a very important player for Iraola.
Isak still needs to offer more
I know Alexander Isak scored twice against Ipswich, but tonight highlighted something that still concerns me.
When Isak doesn’t score, what else does he give you?
I want more from him.
And particularly under Iraola.
The pressing has to improve.
I don’t think he presses with the intensity you’d expect from an Iraola striker.
Liverpool need their front players to set the tone.
Isak has the talent to be one of the best strikers in Europe, but he can’t simply be judged on goals.
He needs to contribute more when the goals aren’t coming.
Barcola isn’t a right winger
I also think Liverpool need to stop trying to make Bradley Barcola something he isn’t.
He’s not a right winger.
He’s far more comfortable attacking from the left.
And yet, despite that, he could have had a hat-trick tonight.
He found himself in dangerous positions and showed exactly why Liverpool spent so much money bringing him to Anfield.
The finishing needs work.
But we already knew that.
The important thing is that he’s getting into the positions.
If Barcola starts finishing those chances, Liverpool have got some player on their hands.
Jacquet and Van Dijk are forming a brilliant partnership
This is probably one of my favourite things I’m seeing at the moment.
Jérémy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk.
There is something developing there.
Jacquet is aggressive, quick to the ball and doesn’t look frightened by the occasion.
Van Dijk brings the experience, positioning and leadership.
Together, they remind me a little of Matip and Van Dijk.
I’m not saying Jacquet is Matip yet — that’s far too early.
But there is something about the partnership that I really like.
If Jacquet continues developing, Liverpool could have a very good centre-back partnership for years to come.
Rio is still very raw
Rio Ngumoha didn’t have his best first half.
He looked a little lost at times and struggled to get into the game.
It improved after the break, but for me he’s still a little way away from being a regular starter.
And that’s absolutely fine.
He’s young.
He’s talented.
But Liverpool shouldn’t put too much pressure on him.
There are flashes of brilliance there, but he needs time.
Wirtz showed why we love him
Florian Wirtz wasn’t at his absolute best tonight either.
But there were still moments where you could see the quality.
That pass for Barcola was brilliant.
Barcola really should have finished it.
Those are the moments that make you think:
Just wait until these players properly click.
Wirtz has got the vision to unlock defences.
Now Liverpool need more players making those runs and finishing the chances he creates.
What was wrong with Gravenberch?
And finally…
The substitutions.
I didn’t really understand them.
What was wrong with Ryan Gravenberch?
Liverpool needed legs and control in midfield, and I would have liked to see him involved.
Some of the changes felt strange to me.
Iraola obviously sees things differently from the stands, and I’m not going to pretend I know more than the manager.
But I didn’t understand some of those decisions.
Good result. Plenty to improve.
So that’s my overall feeling.
Very good result.
Mediocre performance.
Liverpool showed character to come from behind, Mac Allister produced a brilliant goal, Alisson made another massive save and the defence held firm when Atlético pushed.
But there are still obvious concerns.
Kerkez worries me.
Isak needs to offer more without the goals.
Barcola needs to improve his finishing.
Ngumoha needs time.
And I still don’t completely understand some of the substitutions.
But there are positives too.
Mac Allister looks outstanding.
Araújo looks excellent at right-back.
Jacquet and Van Dijk are beginning to look like a proper partnership.
And Wirtz continues to show flashes of something special.
Liverpool have now started their Champions League campaign with a win.
I’ll take that.
Absolutely.
But if Liverpool want to go deep in this competition, they’re going to have to play considerably better than this.
For now though…
Three points. Job done.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
Leave a Reply