Here are your Liverpool evening headlines for Sunday, January 29.
Liverpool are a team in transition and there could be more pain
If Fabinho and Jordan Henderson weren’t aware their midfield roles are no longer set in stone at Liverpool, they most certainly are now.
For the first time since the former made his debut for the Reds back in September 2018, neither was in the starting line-up for a third successive game.
Jurgen Klopp instead again turned to the triumvirate of Stefan Bajcetic, Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara, the latter of whom was the only one to start the chastening loss here at Brighton and Hove Albion a fortnight ago.
Having tinkered tactically for the Premier League visit, Liverpool reverted to more tried-and-trusted methods for this FA Cup fourth round clash which prompted a somewhat more recognisable midfield display – if not a different outcome.
Bajcetic, having had a tougher time against Chelsea last weekend, was energetic in the defensive role, his reading of the game epitomised by twice nicking the ball off the toes of a Brighton player inside the area when danger threatened.
The performance of the teenager was once more impressively disciplined given, for the second week running, he picked up a first-half booking. Indeed, his composure and cool attitude are already emerging as real strengths.
This has been a big week for Bajcetic, following his first Premier League start last Saturday by signing a new long-term contract and further cementing his place in the engine room. The 18-year-old is the future of Liverpool.
And that became suggestion became stronger after he had been substituted with five minutes of normal time remaining for Fabinho, whose cameo underlined exactly why he has tumbled out of favour this season.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Jurgen Klopp gives defiant response after triple Liverpool red card controversy
Jurgen Klopp has dismissed suggestions his Liverpool team are “falling apart” after their season suffered another major setback.
And the Reds boss believes there will be no further new arrivals before the transfer window closes on Tuesday evening.
A 2-1 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday ended Liverpool’s defence of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage, with Klopp’s side having now won only three of nine games since the resumption of the season after the World Cup.
The winning goal from Kaoru Mitoma came from a set-piece after Andy Robertson was booked for a foul on Alexis Mac Allister. Fabinho had moments earlier been fortunate to escape greater censure when cautioned for a poor tackle on Evan Ferguson, while there were earlier claims Ibrahima Konate should have dismissed after a strong challenge on Mac Allister.
And asked if his Liverpool team were falling apart given the manner of their late capitulation, Klopp said: “I don’t think that happened. My job over the last couple of weeks has been pretty much to accept the questions I am asked and you can deep as dig as deep and left and right as you want.
“We will not fall apart, I can tell you. If it looks like that, then I’m sorry.
“The Fabinho challenge I’ve only seen once. It didn’t look dynamic, but if it was then we could talk about a red card. It was not cool. Ibou, I didn’t really see in the moment, and Robbo it was late in the game, it’s nothing to do with falling apart, it’s frustration, it’s not right to do it.
“Against us teams get yellow cards constantly and nobody asks these questions, but for us we are not used to it as we don’t usually concede yellow cards. But imagine if the boys didn’t react at all.
“I don’t like it, it’s not the way to do it, but I’ll have to look at it a few times to judge it better. But I’m pretty sure the assessment (we are falling apart) is not right.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
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