The Thoughts Of Honest Rob – Liverpool (a)

Despite leading for fifty-five minutes, by a goal to nil, Luton Town left Anfield on the end of a heavy defeat.

As I summarized in an earlier article – disappointed-but-not-downhearted/ – the defeat inflicted by Liverpool, means the Hatters have taken zero points from the last nine available, not a pretty statistic.

But a visit to quadruple chasing Liverpool was always going to be a more than tricky task and after the match, as reported by the BBC,Rob, as honest as the day is long, didn’t flinch when questioned about the defeat with the gaffer remarking:

“We just made them angry I think didn’t we.”

A clear reference to Chiedozie Ogbene’s 12th minute opener, a goal that stunned Anfield and gave Luton the lead until the 56th minute.

Now I know you can’t select the time in which you take the lead but like Rob an opening goal of the game, for Luton, in the 89th minute would have been the things dreams are made of, instead we suffered a second-half nightmare with Rob further adding:

“Second-half I think we just saw Anfield, saw Liverpool, saw that full-throttle football. Their counter-pressing was incredible, suffocated us.”

“Fans were amazing and it was probably difficult for the players to really concentrate. The real threat came from their counter-pressing, their intensity, it really put us on the back foot.”

I’m guessing that is something very few of our team have experienced in their careers and something, hopefully, they’ll learn from.

Continuing, Rob further added:

“Clearly I’m disappointed to concede from a corner and a throw in as well, those are the bits we know we can improve on, especially in that noise when your mate next to you can’t hear you. You’ve got to be able to deal with those situations better.”

“But bigger and better teams have come here and that’s sort of happened to them as well so it’s not a disgrace.”

It isn’t Rob; indeed, the best European teams have been turned over big time in the atmospheric cauldron that Anfield can be, a cauldron that has got louder since the opening of the new upper tier behind the goal.

Finishing, Rob further added:

“It was like the Kop was just sucking it in and we couldn’t really get out. We saw Anfield and Liverpool at its best, I thought they were brilliant.”

Yes, they were good, but I don’t think they are on a par with previous great Liverpool sides and as for the quadruple, no chance!

COYH