There is something particularly frustrating about watching Liverpool suddenly discover some urgency when they are chasing a late equaliser.
Where was that intensity for the rest of the game?
Liverpool eventually upped their tempo, moved the ball quicker and started playing with the energy you would expect from a team wearing this shirt. But why does it take going behind, or running out of time, for this group of players to show that level of urgency?
Quite frankly, I find it disrespectful.
Supporters pay good money, travel around the country and dedicate so much of their lives to following Liverpool. The very least they deserve is a team that gives everything from the first whistle to the last.
You can accept losing football matches. It happens. Even the best Liverpool sides have suffered defeats, and there will always be games when the opposition are simply better.
What is much harder to accept is watching a team that looks short of urgency, intensity and desire for large periods before suddenly deciding to turn it on when the situation becomes desperate.
Why Can’t Liverpool Play With That Zip From The Start?
That is probably the biggest frustration.
We know these players are capable of moving the ball quickly. We saw it when Liverpool finally started chasing the game. The passing became sharper, the movement improved and suddenly there was a completely different level of energy.
So why aren’t we seeing that from the beginning?
Too often, Liverpool have looked comfortable playing within themselves, almost expecting their quality to eventually be enough to get them through difficult matches.
There is a fine line between confidence and complacency, and I worry that this Liverpool side have become far too comfortable.
The opposition are not going to roll over simply because we are Liverpool. Teams know how to frustrate us, exploit our weaknesses and punish us when we are not switched on.
That is exactly why the current approach is not good enough.
The Players Have To Look At Themselves
Andoni Iraola deserves scrutiny, of course, because the manager is responsible for setting the team up and demanding the right standards.
But the players cannot hide behind tactics or formations.
Every individual has a responsibility to show the right attitude, work rate and commitment.
You cannot expect to turn up for 20 minutes and suddenly rescue a match that you have spent most of the evening allowing to drift away from you.
Liverpool need leaders who demand more from those around them. They need players who take responsibility rather than waiting for somebody else to make something happen.
Too much of this side has looked predictable, comfortable and lacking the urgency required to compete consistently at the highest level.
The Kopite View
I can accept Liverpool losing. I can accept being beaten by a better team. What I struggle to accept is watching a team that only seems to find another gear when the game is slipping away.
That late urgency actually makes the earlier performance even more frustrating because it proves there was another level available.
Why couldn’t we have played like that from the first minute?
Liverpool supporters don’t demand perfection, but they do demand commitment. They want players who fight for every ball, press with intensity and understand what representing this football club means.
Being talented is not enough. Having expensive players is not enough. Reputation means nothing if the performances aren’t there.
Liverpool need to wake up. The days of relying on reputation and expecting teams to fear us are over. Opponents have worked us out, and unless the attitude, intensity and urgency improve, we are going to continue making life difficult for ourselves.
Give us 100% from the first whistle. That is the absolute minimum supporters should expect.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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