Peter talks to Reds fan Craig Hegarty about all things LFC
What were your thoughts on the performance against West Ham?
The performance against West Ham was excellent, I thought. We were patient in our play and frustration didn’t seem to creep in. We have seen many games in the past that have started brightly and got nothing. It was important that we didn’t lose our focus & start trying to force an opportunity. We looked solid and organised and when West Ham got their goal back – we didn’t panic or worry – we continued controlled the game and played professionally. It was nice to see us manage the game well.
Were you surprised to see Joel Matip reinstated to the back 4 on Saturday?
I was surprised to see Matip get brought back in, but changes in the starting 11 have become routine for us this season. In my opinion, neither Lovren or Matip are good enough – but Lovren has looked more assured with Van Dijk beside it. It is worth noting when Lovren was excellent for Southampton he had Fonte talking to him to the whole time. I think Lovren will be back for our next game. Matip isn’t strong enough and for me, he has got away with some poor performances because Lovren is the CB scapegoat.
A lot of players played very well but who was the standout player in this fixture for you?
It’s always hard to pick one player when the team wins, but it’s between Robertson and Oxlade-Chamberlain I think. Robertson has quickly become a fan favourite and rightly so – his performances have been fantastic. The Ox looked comfortable on Saturday, he worked hard and carried the ball really well, he created a few chances and I thought he was the standout performer, just shading Robertson. It was great to see Alex driving forward from deep and taking players on – it’s what we want from him.
What are your thoughts on Firmino’s no-look finishes?
All a bit of fun aren’t they? He knows when to do them – and when not to mess about. I think it shows how confident he is and more importantly how much he is enjoying his football. We have often seen Balotelli trying ridiculously stupid things on the pitch, but Bobby deserves to enjoy himself and why not? They aren’t the most difficult of finishes & it’s always nice to entertain the crowd.
Would you give James Milner a new contract when this one is up?
Probably not. James Milner is on quite a big salary at the club – his performances on the whole this season would maybe suggest we should give him one, but I think we need better options than Milner. As always in Milner’s career what could help him is his versatility – but I think even now that might not be enough. £150k a week is hard to justify for him.
Can you see Klopp making many changes for the Newcastle game?
I can see there being a few changes for the Newcastle game. I think if Gini is over his illness he will probably come back in, Hendo will probably start instead of Emre Can as he’s close to a ban with yellow cards tallying up. As I said above, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lovren come back into the 11 as well.
Score prediction v Newcastle and why please?
I think Newcastle will be a tight game in terms of chances but I think we’ll bag a few. Rafa doesn’t usually concede too many goals, but at the minute our attackers are irresistible. He will have his players well briefed on what to expect from the Anfield faithful on Saturday evening. That being said I think it will be a high scoring game – I’m going for 4-2 Liverpool.
I would like to say a big thanks to FOL for the Q&A Interview, YNWA.
