Into the 3rd game of Liverpool’s pre-season tour, things are starting to get a bit more serious, as shown by Rodgers’ strong team selection fielding a majority of players who are likely to be in contention to start vs Stoke on the opening day of the season. Dejan Lovren was selected to partner Martin Skrtel in the centre of defence over Mamadou Sakho on this occasion. This is perhaps the position most unclear, as most Reds fans would much prefer the Frenchman to start, yet Rodgers still seems to harbour doubts and is perhaps reluctant to give up on the £20 million Croatian after a disappointing first season. It’s still only pre-season however, so the manager could just be trying different things out.
Liverpool began brightly with some slick, intricate build up play very early on involving Lallana and Allen. Milner also went close with a powerful strike from range, whilst arguably the best chance of the half fell to Origi following an excellent run and cross from the once more impressive Joe Gomez down the left, but the Belgian scuffed his effort and failed to make proper contact with the ball. It turned out to be a frustrating game for Origi who had plenty of the ball but his final product wasn’t quite up to scratch. The temp dropped as the first half continued, with Adelaide hardly threatening the Liverpool goal except for the odd half chance, meaning Lovren and Skrtel were left untroubled.
Alberto Moreno replaced Gomez at half time for his first appearance in pre-season following a slight injury according to Rodgers. Given Gomez’ strong performances the Spaniard was under some pressure to deliver, and although he had little to do defensively, he put in a solid display with some sharp runs and passes in the final third. On the other side, Nathaniel Clyne, who had a quiet first half, really grew into the game and burst forward in support of the terrific Jordon Ibe. After a couple of decent efforts by Ibe, the first goal predictably came down the right as Henderson picked out Ibe on the wing. Ibe sent a low, driven cross first time to be converted by Milner for his 2nd goal in 2 games with an accurate finish, albeit from a slightly offside position. Milner was also a standout performer and has made an encouraging start to his Liverpool career in central midfield.
Source: liverpoolfc.com
With Adelaide sitting deep, Liverpool dominated possession and began to create more opportunities. Divock Origi was replaced by Danny Ings midway through the half, and with the Englishman desperate to bag his first Liverpool goal, he found himself frustrated as he looped a free header well over the bar from Henderson’s free kick. Nonetheless, his persistence paid off eventually as Clyne picked the ball up on the half way line, driving forward into space before picking out Ings with a well timed through ball. Ings’ run was inch-perfect and he rounded the keeper before slotting into the net to break his duck in the Red shirt. A lovely moment for the new signing- that will relieve some nerves he may have felt.
All in all, another decent work out, with the likes of Henderson, Skrtel and Clyne all completing a full 90 minutes for a second consecutive game. A 0-0 draw would’ve proved frustrating but eventually our quality showed through and a 2-0 win was a fair reflection of the performance. 3 wins from 3 in pre-season so far, with 8 goals scored and only 1 conceded will be encouraging for Rodgers who will be pleased at the refreshingly positive mood around the team after the way last season ended. It’s not worth making serious judgements until the competitive season begins, but the attack is certainly looking more fluid already than last season, and with the arrivals of Firmino, Coutinho and Benteke (pending a successful medical) at Melwood on Wednesday, there’s plenty more flair to be added, giving Rodgers a healthy selection dilemma ahead of August 9th.
Man of the Match: Nathaniel Clyne
Red Regista
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