Speaking to Radio 5 Live, Stephen Warnock hailed the performance of Takumi Minamino last night as Liverpool recorded a much-needed 1-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League.
Warnock stated that Minamino, who came on as a second-half substitute, did ‘better than Firmino’, who started the encounter at the famous Johan Cruyff Arena before going off on the hour mark.
An own goal from Nicolas Tagliafico in the first half handed all three points to a Liverpool side still seething from their bruising and controversial Merseyside derby from the weekend.
But when this Virgil van Dijk-less Liverpool side took to the field, they put all of that behind them and Warnock praised substitute Minamino for changing the game in the second half.
“You can certainly see the difference in Minamino upfront,” Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. “With the way he is holding the ball up and is linking up play.
“He has done better than Firmino did in the first half. Everything good that has happened so far in this second half has been in and around his hold up play and link-up play.
“It has allowed the midfield to press higher. It has then allowed the defence to come up 5 or 10 yards to stop that ball from coming over the top. What it has done is put Ajax players under pressure and it doesn’t allow a simple ball to feet or a ball over the top. Every pass they now make is under pressure.”
This was perhaps the perfect result and performance from Liverpool because they have answered one early question, and that’s they can grind it out and keep a clean sheet without their influential Dutchman.
If the Reds had conceded on the night, and the usually shaky Adrian was at one point pushing the opposition towards that, then it would have placed an unnecessary light on Jurgen Klopp’s defence.
But with Fabinho and Joe Gomez at the back, they look assured and bossed the game from the back, as their road without Van Dijk for the foreseeable begins in a positive fashion.
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