LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 23, 2017: Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson celebrates with manager Jürgen Klopp after the 3-2 victory during the FA Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

I’M hoping by the time I get to the end of this that I’m feeling a little better, that you, dear reader can be my therapy because I’m not going to lie my current state is one of absolute discombobulation.

The Reds have won their first game away from home in the league having bagged three goals but the mood for celebration, for the moment, is beyond this fragile constitution.

Quite how Liverpool Football Club consistently contrive to put themselves in these situations beggars belief and should lead to a study in how to induce panicked hysteria.

This Liverpool side, at the moment, has become its own worst enemy, no one can deny the quality and danger they carry, but they also need little excuse to give themselves a massive problem.

The pattern is all too familiar, Liverpool start well and either fail to capitalise or, as today just as against Sevilla, put themselves in a position of strength only to miss an opportunity to put the game beyond doubt.

A 2-0 lead away to anyone should be enough for teams with designs on going far to sit on, but just as sure as when his penalty thumped off the post in the Champions League, the absolute certainty that we’d be punished for not going three goals up when Roberto Firmino slid his shot wide of Kasper Schmeichel’s post was nailed on.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 23, 2017: Liverpool's Roberto Firmino and Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez during the FA Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

We’ve convinced ourselves that the worst is about to happen to the point it has become self defeating, we put ourselves constantly in harm’s way, the lack of authority and a calming presence is chronic.

Yes, we’ve been unlucky, every 50-50 seems to break the other way, every deflection seems to give us little favour, every clearance seems to drop to anyone apart from a red shirt putting everyone in panic mode.

The solution? Stop being unlucky.

Stop believing the worst is about to happen.

It’s impossible to legislate for every potential outcome of every single action on the pitch of which there are hundreds, but how many times do we tend to end up feeling sorry for ourselves because of one unlucky break or the other?

Prime example, just as against Watford when we conceded an injury-time equaliser, we concede again in added time in the first half.

Whether Joel Matip fouled Jamie Vardy or not is neither here nor there, nor is it the point. The question is why we were in that position in the first place? Why, put ourselves in a situation where a decision has to be made?

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 23, 2017: Liverpool's Joel Matip and Leicester City's Jamie Vardy during the FA Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

I’d wager any money that if the clock is reading 26 instead of 46 the ball doesn’t even make it down that channel, but because we know that getting to half time with a two-goal cushion is important we start to overthink and disrupt our own rhythm.

And the opposition know this, they don’t have to work hard to create chances and get opportunities, just keep a modicum of pressure up and we’ll get ourselves in a mess.

What makes it even more infuriating is the myth we concede goals as a matter of fact because of the system when that’s far from the truth, we actually don’t defend too poorly for most parts and an awful lot of the goals we do concede are more to do with individual errors than a systemic issue.

Do we need better personnel? Well, yeah, but there is fuck all we can do about that at the moment and to pin it just on that doesn’t tell the whole story.

How many goals have we conceded as a result of committing seven or eight men forward or as a result of a brilliant piece of play compared to the teeth-gritting, hair-greying, clusterfucks that can be seen a mile off?

The good news is, in theory, that these problems are fixable, just maybe not on the training pitch.

And if we’re looking for symbols to cling to or decisive moments to change the mind of the players and stop them succumbing to nerves, maybe we have a few straws to clutch at today.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 23, 2017: Liverpool's goalkeeper Simon Mignolet looks dejected after Leicester City score an injury time goal in the first half during the FA Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The easiest fix in the world would be a few back to back clean sheets, but for something to build on?

Well, how about this.

Despite trying their hardest at times to throw it away tonight, Liverpool managed to cling on to record their first ever win under Jürgen Klopp at the King Power Stadium.

And this, don’t just forget about being unlucky, how about convincing yourself of the opposite, that every break will drop your way, that if you just take care of yourself and do your job and not panic, that corner will clear the area.

And to top it off, the penalty you concede at 3-2 up will be saved and you will emerge victorious.

There, you see, I feel better already.

Recent Posts:

[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]

Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo

Like The Anfield Wrap on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter