Liverpool, and Jurgen Klopp, will have been very disappointed to come away from the Montgomery Waters Meadow with just a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
The Reds were 2-0 up with 30 minutes left, but a late Jason Cummings brace earned Salop a replay at Anfield. It now means that the League One outfit will face a weaker Liverpool side due to the fact that the two-week winter break has led to Klopp making the decision to field the U23s in that clash. Neil Critchley will also take charge of the match instead of the 52-year-old.
Whilst this was not Liverpool’s first-choice XI, the presence of the likes of Fabinho, Divock Origi and Joel Matip meant that this could not be considered as a totally under-strength side. They really should have got the job done.
Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?
Dejan Lovren was another senior player who took the field. The Croatia international was starting his first match since returning from injury, and it was fair to say that he was still showing signs of rustiness.
The 30-year-old may have had some good moments, such as the five from five aerial duels he prevailed in, but there were plenty of worrying bits of play for both the fans and his boss. The second goal was partly down to his poor defending, whilst he found himself out of position on several occasions. He was also dribbled past on one occasion as well, unlike his central-defensive partner Matip.
Whilst Klopp will have not been happy either with Lovren’s or his team’s display, Joe Gomez will surely have had a smile on his face watching at home. The former Southampton man had been the first-choice man to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the backline – he started seven league matches in a row – but his injury allowed the 23-year-old to step into the breach. Since he took up that role, Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet in just one Premier League match.
Watch Liverpool Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
This display from Lovren should mean that Gomez keeps his place for the foreseeable future, therefore. Van Dijk and the former Charlton man have formed a solid partnership, and that is unlikely to be something that Klopp will want to disrupt. Sometimes, you don’t even need to play to see your stock increase.
Meanwhile, Liverpool fans react to Dave O’Connell’s tweet.