Thread by @babuyagu

Thoughts on the XI.

Feb & Hendo together. Hendo as an 8. Two things that have been a recurring problem in poor performances this season.

Depends how the game goes. If Southampton are going to press up on us and leave space to exploit then should work.

https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1464594866814562312

I also see Klopp is doing that thing he did with Fab, Robbo, Gundogan, Keita - with Konate... drop them into the side a few games, then take them back out to learn from the experience and work on things in training.

Hoping we get some more Taki minutes against his former club.

We see different traits of players, not different roles. Hendo is Hendo. He does what he can do and is best doing. Just as Ox is Ox. They play the role differently because they are very different players. Not because the system changes based on who is #8

https://twitter.com/imHimanshuy/status/1464597533435465739

Seeing a lot of disrespect of Andy Robertson on the timeline. I don't understand it.

We have two top quality options in that position and both are fresh because they are being rotated. Isn't this what you advocated for? Why the tears? Complaining for complaining sake.

The same thick people who complain about rotating guys like Matip, Ox, Tsimikas out today will also complained when we ran our squad into the ground last season and had Gini-Milner-Jones playing constantly in midfield and the trio being injured or worn out by January.

I could engage with the constant whinging if there was a constant. If your arguments were consistent. But they are all over the fucking place.

https://twitter.com/Viclfc/status/1464602770116333569

It is the era of the fanboy. You have to pick a side. Robbo or Tsimikas. And whichever side you pick, you have to shit all over the other guy. Belittle him to make your guy look strong.

It is Salah v Mane but with left backs. They are fucking pathetic.

From kickoff, Saints get in down our right, try to cut it back. Virg puts out for a corner.

Kids should watch how he read that danger and filled the most likely space to hurt us. It was perfect.

Jota gets in behind Bednarek. Delays the pass, wants to go alone... beats another and another... shot is blocked.

1-0 Jota

Brilliant play by Robbo - it was always going to come from the guy who shitheap Reds have slagged off all week wasn't it?

Him and Mané work the ball down the left, Robbo with a great run into the box, cuts it back, Jota slides in to toe in from close range.

Ali with an iffy ball out from the back.

Now Thiago holds onto the ball far too long looking for a pass and gets caught. Feel like we could orchestrate our own downfall if not careful here.

Robbo again works the ball down the left - picks out Mane back post. He is challenged as heading it and can only put it wide.

Btw that was a great save by Ali when Thiago lost the ball. Could so easily have conceded a penalty or stayed on his line. That proactive game saves us.

Fabinho's turn to get caught in possession in midfield.

Saints are going to press the shit out of us today. We need to be quicker in thought here. Have your options seen and considered before the first touch.

Virg isn't happy about Robbo passing that ball back to him there. He ended up needing to split the two guys pressing him in his own box with a hard pass into Fabinho.

Mané down and I have never seen him roll like that before. Got about 7 or 8 rolls in. I think it was a sore one.

Oh the replay is wild... studs down the back of his left and turns his ankle too. Sore one that. Hope he is ok

Instant revenge. Mane heads in the cross from the FK... and the flag goes up.

Holy shit how tight that is. For the assistant to flag that but I think mane is a toe ahead of the defence

Thought he punished them with a goal. Still only 1-0 as VAR confirms the offside.

What a fucking header it was though. Absolutely buried it.

Pass was a bit too far ahead of Salah though which narrowed his choices.

Jota has had a very lively start though. Everything going through him. Dropping off he line constantly and being the link between midfield and attack so often. Have barely seen anything down our right yet.

Great work that from Hendo to work the ball through their midfield to Mane.

Salah tries to bend one into the far corner... bounces just wide of the post.

Little things but that recovery from Thiago from the clearance of Livramento is a good example of things you might not see on TV.

Thiago has read that if Mane presses he will try to clear it down the line and takes a position on the flank 40 yards away... ball lands at his feet

On TV it looks like the ball just lands where he is. But if you are in the stadium you see players move out of midfield and taken up that position where they know the ball is mostly likely to go.

A few heavy passes today. Is that the wind?

Trent puts a throughball out for a goalkick that was uncharacteristically overhit. Now Mane does the same on the other side giving Robbo no hope.

I love how calm Konate, Thiago and Trent all were there.

First in Konate to read the play and win the ball in the box rather than panic and dive in when he might lose goal side. Then Thiago to find a red shirt when receiving edge of the box with back to the opponent. Then Trent

to feint the clearance cut inside and find Fabinho open in space to allow us out.

Trent now with a throwin that is 15 yards short of Konate. Again - wind? Both would be affected by a wind behind the LFC goal.

Anyway Southampton get a run on Konate and Alisson ends up needing to make another big save.

Damn Hendo! That would have been some goal. Lots of nice 1 or 2 touch passing to work in through their press. Hendo plays in Salah down the right. Salah holds, Hendo backs up the attack, played back to him but he scoops it miles over the bar from Gerrard v Marseille territory.

I really hope I referenced the right goal there. Was it Marseille that Gerrard bent one in over the top of the keeper from there? I think it was against Mandanda & Marseille.

You can see lots of traits of Klopp's Liverpool in Southampton here. How they are forcing us into long balls - often intercepting or resulting in a 2nd ball. When we get 1 touch stuff going they open up though.

2-0 Jota again

Hendo and Salah on the right combining, Hendo plays it in down the side of the CB in the box, Salah cuts it across. Jota taps into an open net.

Jota was a half-stride from breaking through Southampton and being 1v1 there. Mane played him in and the defender was just there marginally ahead of jota.

Happy to say the game is going exactly how I thought it would.

Hendo isn't a midfielder that creates space - in the way say Keita does. But he excels in hurting teams that give up space.

Damn... thought Jota had a hattrick. Mane to Hendo edge of the box. Hendo drops a header into Jota's path who controls with his thigh but a defender gets a last ditch block in on his shot.

Thiago is at it again. 3-0

Thiago feints the right-footed grass-cutter this time, take in into the box on his left and smashes past McCarthy (maybe deflected?)

Trent and Salah link up well - Trent cross is cut out preventing another tapin.

Southampton will be fearing their annual 9-0 here at this rate.

Thiago shot was deflected by Lyanco I think. Was going in far corner though so it will definitely be his goal.

Oh and almost 4 again. Robbo brilliant again. Finds Jota on the overlap, Jota skips by one in the box tries to find Mo but it drifts out for a goal kick.

Ali passing to Thiago and Thiago trying to diving head it away edge of his own box was great.

The look from Thiago at Ali after that was great. One of those 'what am I meant to do with that Ali?' looks :D

Bit all over the place at the back there. Thankfully Ali makes another big save. Seriously though... he is a big part of the reason why were are coasting and not in a Brentford 3-3 match right now.

3-v-1 at the other end with Salah carrying the ball at Livramento, Jota and Mane supporting him... he tries to find one of them but it goes out for a goal kick.

Great defending by Livramento that. Reminds me of Virg v Spurs

Mane again (he has been great too) backheels to Jota in the box. Jota tries to play it through, rebounds back to him, tries the shot, spins wide.

3-0 half time. Could have been more. Ali crucial in the 'nil' part of the equation too.

https://twitter.com/ThatStelloFello/status/1464622749754830851

Yeah they caught Thiago and Fabinho in it early. After that, there we stopped controlling the ball with our back to Southampton. Then we just picked our way through it in 1 or 2 touch moves and their structure collapsed.

I think Jota is the most predatory striker we've had since Fowler.

Even more so than Torres who seemed to put in some work to get goals. So many of Jota's are just poaching in the box. Even the Arsenal goal comes from lurking where he thinks he will be the most danger.

And I mean this in the most complimentary way possible. Players that just have that inherent sense of the opponent's shape, what they are trying to do and where that will leave a space or passing angle exposed - just knowing where you can hurt them all the time.

There is obviously so SO much more to his game than this. He is dropping deep, linking play, progressing the ball with carries, he also receives more deep progressive passes than anybody. But at his heart, he is a killer.

Ah Hendo the ball needs to be better there. Side footed it right into the defender. Good move again though between him and Salah to work the ball around the Saints.

Btw Livramento has really impressed again. I've liked him this season. I need to watch more of him but I would be curious how this translates at a top club. Would it be like Clyne where he shines in a team that doesn't dominate the ball?

Virg urged to shoot. Plays it to Mane who tries to place one in the top corner from outside the box. Palmed over.

And Virg scores from the corner... of course. 4-0

Defender makes the classic mistake of watching only the man, not the ball. Virg makes a yard of space and volleys the corner in from around the penalty spot. You should never concede a goal like that. Awful defending. Romeu was it?

How are we 3v2 at the back here?

Konate can't cut out the cross. But manages to get up and block the resulting shot. corner. And we clear that too. Then catch them offside from the ball back in.

@SamMcGuire90 wrote a great article on the Fab-Thiago double act in midfield that I recommend.

You can see it here though how we often end up in a double pivot when Hendo is caught ahead of the ball. It gives us an almost 4231 or 424 look

Fab needs someone to be his Gini.

Ox getting ready to come on for Thiago they are saying.

It will be interesting to see how that changes our makeup in midfield. No way Ox is playing the disciplined Thiago role. Will Hendo or will his inclination to move wide and get in behind Salah leave our midfield open here?

https://twitter.com/djstaffs1/status/1464627926217990152

Quite the production line that. All very good players.

Fab putting in that work for the cleansheet with 2 huge blocks.

We are getting into Salah time... when he starts getting itchy about the fact he hasn't scored yet and tries to do a Puskas.

Played them offside superbly there. Flag doesn't go up and Ali scoops it up edge of his box anyway or else the flag surely would have been raised.

Milly coming on for Hendo I assume?

This game is done so it could be to rest Fab, or Trent, or even one of the forwards.

Nah it is Hendo.

Great defending there from Virg. Cut out the angle to Broja. Armstrong ends up having it taken off his toes while looking for the pass.

I would say we have a lot more emergencies at the back than we would like today. Virg, Konate, Fabinho and Ali have all had big actions to prevent dangerous situations from escalating into worse. They are a good side Southampton.

You probably don't see that in the xG. Maybe the non-shot xG?

Saints have had the ball in dangerous situations a lot today. Have pressed us well at times. We just have the perfect side to beat a side playing like this.

Oh my god Jota!!!

Robbo and Ox brilliant to open up the left flank.

Robbo drops the ball into the 6yd box. Jota slides in and toes the ball over and wide from about 4 yards. Looked a certain hat-trick.

Virg looks back to his best here. 50/50 ball breaks in behind us. He looks 30/70 at best to get there but finds a burst of acceleration to get to it first and put it out for a throw

Robbo pulling out a Trent-esque 70 yard crossfield ball onto the toe of Trent.

Salah tries to bend one in, Salisu heads it over. Keeper might have got there.

I'm rooting hard for a Mo goal here.

Ox has been really REALLY lively since coming on. Doing a lot of nice stuff too. Final ball a touch better and he could have an assist or 2 also.

Ox with one from the edge of the box. Keeps it too central and the keeper parries it.

Either side of the keeper and he was fucked there.

TAKI MINUTES AND LATE GOAL TIME!!!!!

Taki replaces Jota. No hat-trick but superb performance.

Milly fires wide now. If he looked to the left of the box we were in behind them with a ball over the top.

I like playing early in the weekend. You get your points on teh board and then can just relax and see if anybody you compete against drops points.

The Kop is shooting shoot at every player everywhere on the pitch. Virg being told to shoot in the center circle.

Another bit of emergency defending as we switch off on a freekick. Thankfully every Southampton player had too and there is nobody to attack Tella's ball but Virg who puts it behind.

We are at the point now where Salah is wearing out left backs and they need to be replaced before the end of the game?

All I want is a taki goalscoring cameo, Mo to get on the scoresheet and Mane to score against his former club. That's all. Not too much to ask

An Ox thunderbastard would be nice too mind. And a big Ibou header. Robbo to properly put the shits up his critics with a goal too.

Fab hasn't scored in a while iether mind.

Taki runs all the way from CF to RB to win the ball back in front of Trent saving TAA the job of making a tackle.

He really does have the Bobby like quality of feeling his job is to be everywhere and do everything that is needed.

Finishes 4-0.

If FSG supported Klopp with better subs we wouldn't have slowed down at 4-0 and won that 9-0.

WHERES THE TAIWO AWONIYI MONEY JOHN???