Steve Nicol said he was ‘delighted’ with one particular aspect of Liverpool’s win at Bournemouth on Sunday despite a ‘rotten’ performance from the Reds.
Andoni Iraola’s side created virtually nothing in a goalless first half but prevailed 1-0 thanks to Alexander Isak’s 57th-minute goal, one of just three shots on target they had all afternoon.
It was far from a classic at the Vitality Stadium, but the Merseysiders held firm to come away with all three points and record a third consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League, something they hadn’t managed since the first three matches of Arne Slot’s reign two years ago.
Nicol credits Liverpool for another clean sheet
Nicol wasn’t impressed with Liverpool’s overall performance on the south coast, but he gave them credit for achieving another shutout and doing enough to emerge with a positive result.
The former Reds defender said on ESPN FC: “I’m absolutely delighted, with the way they played, to come away with three points. I said a couple of weeks ago, if I could get Liverpool to just keep clean sheets – if you do that, because they have got talented players, you’ve always got a chance of getting something, and that’s exactly what happened in this game.
“These teams could’ve swapped strips and you wouldn’t have known who was who. That’s how bang average Liverpool were today, but they got a win. Now, when you get three points, you can build from it. There’s a different atmosphere around the place when you get a win, particularly away from home.
“The performance was rotten. In terms of going forward, it was desperate. It took us 57 minutes to get the goal, and even after that there wasn’t another chance, so I’m delighted – three points away at Bournemouth [despite] not playing well, but it’s a clean sheet, and that’s how you start. That’s how you get things going.”
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Not vintage Liverpool, but that feels like a huge result
Nicol is right – it wasn’t a vintage Liverpool display by any means, but every eventual Premier League champion has matches like these where they’re nowhere near their best and still come out of a tough away fixture with all three points.
From conceding four goals in their opening two games under Iraola, to now achieve three successive clean sheets in the top flight gives the Reds a solid platform from which to build, even if our attacking play was quite disappointing against Fulham and Bournemouth.
In the end, the commanding brilliance of Alisson Becker in nets and another imperious showing from Jeremy Jacquet were every bit as crucial to this win as Isak’s decisive goal.
No Liverpool fan will be fooled into thinking that yesterday was a 10/10 or even a 9/10 performance, but the significance of the result on a weekend when the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all dropped points in away games feels massive.
The Reds go into the extended international break with positive momentum and remain unbeaten with Iraola in charge, albeit in the knowledge that they’ll need to show a lot more if they’re to be the first team to take points off Manchester City this season when the leaders visit Anfield on 11 October.
I repeat 4 seasons without a proper number 6, if they do not buy one in January well I am over it. No real right winger – How many left wingers have they got/how in heavens name does that happen/oh it was a planned! They are the negatives that still need addressing – now the positives.
The back line seems more settled thanks to VVD – Jacquet and Araujo (no thanks to Kerkez/Frimpong/Tsimikas – Frimpong and Tsimikas need to be sold in January! Kerkez well he will be given a chance to come good – but that chance is evaporating quickly!
The middle well it is pretty obvious that Nyoni when played can at least tackle and sure up that area – I was saying that Macca should be moved on but his performances have been much improved and of Szobo and Gravy – it looks like Gravy needs to be moved on to get that proper number 6 we need! Wirtz – what to do there? Is he playing well/no he is not – does he look rattled when aggressively challenged/yes he does – my opinion is a sale to Bayern with us looking to buy Olise in return! That then leaves Szobo as our out an out number 10 with maybe Koumas his understudy! Isak looks to have hit his straps which is great news – the natural back up until Ekitike returns looks to be either Cody Gapko or Koumas – Koumas has been a revelation and in my humble opinion deserves to start games. On the wings – yes well we have a dozen or so left wingers and no right wingers…Munoz is my preferred right winger and he should start….really on form the front attack should be left wing Gapko middle Isak and Munoz on the right…Barcola well either he is not yet fit or he is like Wirtz an overhyped and overpaid mistake (I hope for LFC ‘s sake I am wrong/but doubt it), if I am right Gapko keeps his left wing spot and Munoz/Barcola share the right in the hope that Barcola comes good…and yes we still need a top right back to challenge Kerkez stating spot! YNWA