Modric THFC
Jimmy McCormick
Initially very down on how we played but I rewatched the second half and we were much better than I remembered.
Agree. Liverpool were hanging on the ropes for the last 30 minutes of the game, and I've not seen anyone else doing that to Liverpool this season.I must say, I’m surprised at the José takes from good journos over the last couple of days. And I say this as someone who thinks Levy potentially made a mistake by sacking Poch and going for José, but I think the takes have been bad.
All of the talk of reactive football, taking Spurs back years, I just don’t think that was true. On another day we win that game and are talking about beating the best side in the world. There was clearly a plan, keep it as tight as possible, and then strike when we saw the opening. It nearly worked. The Chelsea game was horrendous, the absolute worst. Southampton poor. Norwich not great. Boro laboured. But this was good. When we attacked it was with intensity, we created clear chances, and we looked like we were swarming them. If this was the first real taste of Mourinho intensity, then I have no real problem with a game plan that involves keeping it tight. As long as we raise our level when we decide to push for the goals. It’s what big games often look like.
That, coupled with some reasonably innovative thinking and flexibility in going from what looked like a back 3 to a 4-4-2 with Aurier on the right wing, and giving Japhet a chance, I thought it was a really positive window in to what we could be like. These last few months have been really hard, everyone has stagnated, but if there is some light at the end of the tunnel, certain players getting their moves, certain others coming in to shake it up, youth getting their shot when deserved, we’ll be ok.