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Bournemouth Defeat Shows Why Liverpool Should Go All in for Van Dijk in January
- Updated: December 6, 2016
If Liverpool’s late collapse at Bournemouth on Sunday showed us anything, it is perhaps that old habits die hard, as Jurgen Klopp’s side twice threw away a two-goal lead to lose 4-3.
It was an incredible collapse, conceding in the 76th and 78th minutes, and then three minutes into stoppage time—with Bournemouth recording their first victory over the Reds.
On the face of it, it was a shock defeat and surprising to see Liverpool concede four goals after keeping clean sheets in each of their last three games.
“How Liverpool can lay claim to having the best defence in Europe,” hailed a headline in the Liverpool Echo in the week before the game, citing the statistic that they had “faced fewer opposition shots than any other team on the continent this season.”
If we’re being picky, the statistic they were referring to was among the top five European leagues, not the whole continent, but the sentiment remains. Liverpool weren’t allowing opposition teams many shots on goal, but that is probably more a sign of a good team keeping possession and dominating play than a reflection of the defence itself.
And it wasn’t that Liverpool allowed Bournemouth more shots on Sunday, with Eddie Howe’s side only having two shots on goal in the first 75 minutes—one being Callum Wilson’s penalty and one blocked from well outside the area, via Statszone.
Liverpool were—as they have been for most games this season—dominant and in command for the opening 75 minutes at the Vitality Stadium. It was only in the final 10 minutes that Bournemouth peppered the Reds’ goal with shots, eventually taking 12 in total. But this was only possible as the Reds dropped deep, lost control, lost possession and lost their heads.
While it was out of character for this season, it was trademark Liverpool of recent years. Different personnel, but similar problems and the same outcome.
It was the 3-2 defeat after being 2-0 up at Southampton in March, it was the 2-2 draws at home to relegation contenders Sunderland and Newcastle United after throwing away the two-goal leads last season.
It was the turgid displays at Watford, Newcastle and Swansea City last season too—just only for 15 minutes.
Liverpool’s makeshift centre-back pairing of Dejan Lovren and Lucas Leiva are fine when their team is dominant and in possession, but, as Jamie Carragher commented post-match on Sky Sports, put them under pressure and they …
