match_ratings_ident

YOU work on a gameplan all week. You prepare as best you can. You know what Burnley are and that you might have to be patient. Then you completely fuck it up within two minutes.

Toxic Thunder? Toxic shite more like.

Anyway, here are your ratings for Burnley v Liverpool:

Simon Mignolet: 5

Poor for the first goal. Seemed to be caught by surprise that an opposition forward might have a shot and ended up diving under the ball.

Could do little about the second but we’re in another situation where every shot on target seems to result in a goal.

Nathaniel Clyne: 4

Gave the ball away in the second minute resulting in a goal. Appreciate that, in the way Jürgen Klopp wants to set up, sometimes mistakes will happen, but we were on the back foot before we could make any kind of impression on the game.

Poor end product on the rare occasion Liverpool got forward. Disappointing after last week’s encouraging start.

Dejan Lovren: 5

Good tackle on Andre Gray early on when the forward looked to have the beating of him, only to then stand off and let him roll the ball around him for the second.

Must be mad knowing that you’re basically going to have to restrict your opponents to zero shots on goal to keep a clean sheet.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 20, 2016: Andre Gray scores for Burnley during the FA Premier League match at Turf Moore. (Pic by Gavin Trafford/Propaganda)

Ragnar Klavan: 4

The Estonian’s first poor game in a Liverpool shirt. First of about five players who should have cleaned Steven Defour out as he broke away for Burnley’s second goal.

James Milner: 5

Exactly what Alberto Moreno isn’t and offers none of what Moreno does.

Steady enough but absolutely no pace to break through the lines, and without Sadio Mane we needed more of an outlet.

Set pieces were mediocre too. Felt like we had a hundred odd corners and wasted every one of them.

Jordan Henderson: 4

Poor. Looked like the player that was carrying an injury for so much of last season. Not the only player on the pitch who doesn’t look entirely comfortable with his position.

Has the ability to break through the lines so feel’s a little wasted playing so deep.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 20, 2016: Liverpool's Jordan Henderson of Liverpool battles for the ball with George Boyd of Burnley in action the FA Premier League match at Turf Moore. (Pic by Gavin Trafford/Propaganda)

Georginio Wijnaldum: 5

Anonymous. Neat and tidy, and kept everything ticking over, but did very little to influence the game. Pushed up a little higher second half but to no great effect.

Adam Lallana: 5

Feel sorry for the lads upfront, can’t always be chasing from a losing position, especially against teams that will sit so deep. As with Philippe Coutinho, felt like he always had 10 men in front of him to play through.

Roberto Firmino: 4

Played upfront and never got in the game. Didn’t hold the ball up well at all and, unlike last week, was sloppy on the odd occasion he did have possession.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 20, 2016: Liverpool's Roberto Fermion battles with Burnleys Matt Lowton during the FA Premier League match at Turf Moore. (Pic by Gavin Trafford/Propaganda)

Philippe Coutinho: 5

Had one of those games where you knew his next touch was going to be a shot. Can become predictable and isn’t at his best when he’s trying to win the game on his own. But as mentioned, had plenty of traffic to play through.

Daniel Sturridge: 5

Didn’t play well at all. Nothing worked. But in mitigation, he’s not a wide forward or an attacking midfielder.

Don’t understand why our best striker, who is at his most dangerous in the opposition penalty area, is playing out wide, or thirty yards deeper than he should be.

Feels harsh criticising the player for doing things that he’s not particularly suited to, but wasn’t a good day.

Got frustrated at Chelsea for getting played out of position, only to be shoved today to accommodate Firmino, who CAN play in a deeper role.

Needs to be relaxed and play on instinct to be effective, and as a result looked massively out of sorts today.

Subs

Divock Origi: 5

On for Sturridge, but yer’know, actually up front, with Firmino moving out wide to accommodate the young Belgian. Had little time, space or opportunity to impact on the game. Hard to judge.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 20, 2016: Liverpool's Daniel Sturbridge is substituted for Divock Origi against Burnley during the FA Premier League match at Turf Moore. (Pic by Gavin Trafford/Propaganda)

Marko Grujic: 6

Had a shot on target.

Alberto Moreno: 5

Brought on to stretch the play with 15 minutes left, but had no room in behind to do anything with.

Noticed in his absence that he isn’t actually the worst player in the world and brings things to the team that others don’t at full back.

Burnley 2 Liverpool 0: The Pink

Burnley 2 Liverpool 0: The Match Review

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