It was a night for great players to be great.
by NDMike2001 (2021-04-15 14:28:08)

In reply to: It's not Milner's fault. I know that  posted by miamioh_irishfan


Had Liverpool completed just half of their XGs I think we'd be talking about a game for the ages for Milner. I thought he was borderline "heroic" last night. In an empty Anfield he was able to set a tone where Casemiro got so frustrated (up 3-1) that he was willing to risk a red to take him out. And the captain stood up and took it like a champ. It made me think of how Messi was completely taken out of the match mentally during the Barca comeback. And Milner essentially said, "that all you got?"

Mane and/or Salah needed to be great for Liverpool to win. They were knocking on the door, but it just wasn't their night.

Yes, the struggles at Anfield have been rather comical. No doubt weakened back put undue pressure on the front line to score. Now that the back has been shored up some (albeit 4th choice options) the confidence up front is shaken.

Interestingly, it's the midfield that could have stepped up at any point this season to support the front three. But they really don't have the tools to shoot from distance. Ironically, it was Milner that had the best shot outside the box. That's certainly not Thiago's game. It's quite the conundrum. Thiago is world class. But I'm not gonna lie, I'd have been really tempted to play Jones instead.