Paul Tomkins, Andrew Beasley, Daniel Rhodes and other TTT regulars will give their thoughts on the match for 24 hours after the game, so the article received via email is unlikely to be the final version. There's statistics from the match and videos too.
Post-Match Thoughts
Paul Tomkins
We can all talk about why games were lost, and titles not won, but this was about game-management. Game-management by Andy Madley.
You can’t play a derby with a ref like that, as Everton continue their remarkable run of decisions this week at Goodison.
Astonishing that for all Liverpool’s missed chances, if you go into a derby and one team can be fire and brimstone and tackle like Vinny Jones, and the other isn’t allowed to even think about tackling, it’s a farce. I don’t like most of the officials, granted. I focus on their data and how bad they are in general. Madley does the Reds no favours.
Gary Neville said Liverpool had been close to “beat up” and definitely harassed, at a stage in the game when it was nine free-kicks in Everton’s favour, as they took the lead, to Liverpool’s measly one. So essentially, Everton were allowed to be physical, as suits their old-fashioned English style, and Liverpool, with all the foreigners, were not. Madley enabled it. He essentially kneecapped the Reds.
Neville had already said Everton “tackling like it’s 1986”, yet it took over 38 minutes for the home team to be penalised for their second foul despite Liverpool having nearly 75% of the ball.
Later on, Dominik Szoboszlai was pushed into Virgil van Dijk for the second goal? Ah, just one of those things.
Madley essentially allowed Everton to go flying in, and the fans to get behind them, while any time Liverpool tried to win the ball it was deemed a foul. The rate of conceding nine free kicks to one with nearly 75% possession is essentially 27x as many. I think this is utter horseshit refereeing.
Once Everton were ahead, however, and the job was half done, Liverpool apparently did not make a foul for the next 40 minutes. Which is equally ludicrous, and shows that refs just make it up as they go along.
Then towards the end, it was all fouls to Everton, nothing when Liverpool players were taken out. All the yellow cards went to Liverpool players. Liverpool players fouled on the edge of the box? Play on. Everton players throwing themselves down around the box? Free-kick!
It was never a fair fight. The frustration with the ref was clear from the players and Jürgen Klopp. They felt cheated, you could tell.
Liverpool’s season is petering out (130 goals scored but a relative drought lately), but it’s been one of huge progression, another trophy and some firm foundations for the next manager. Expectations have been exceeded, but the peak-end rule means you often remember the end more than the whole.
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