Michael Owen was left shocked by Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott’s attempted dummy that led to Brentford’s second goal during Jurgen Klopp’s side’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford in the Premier League on Monday evening.
It was a game full of drama and disallowed goals, including Yoane Wissa having two goals ruled out, before scoring at his third attempt which meant that Liverpool went into the break 2-0 down.
But that Wissa header, which just crossed the line following a cross from the right channel by Mathias Jensen, started from Alisson Becker passing the ball out from the back to Elliott, who rather than controlling it, proceeded to let the ball go through his legs thinking a teammate was behind him, only for it to fall to an opposition player.
That was the last act by the 19-year-old, who was one of three substitutions by Jurgen Klopp at half-time, alongside Virgil van Dijk and Kostas Tsimikas – it made a difference at the start of the second half because the Merseyside giants pulled a goal back, only for the Bees to add a third when Ibrahima Konate was bullied by Bryan Mbeumo
It wasn’t just Michael Owen that was left baffled by Elliott’s actions because former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves also questioned his call at that moment, as he told Premier League Productions (02/01/23 at 6:25 pm).
“This is straight after a disallowed goal,” said Owen. “I don’t know for the life of me in your third what Harvey Elliott is doing there?! Letting the ball go between his legs. He can’t have had a shout. It was never ever on.
“Then, all of a sudden, they get outnumbered at the back post and it’s 2-0 and a mountain to climb.”
Hargreaves added: “It’s a terrible dummy from Harvey Elliott. It’s not a good ball from Alisson. When you are under pressure, just get the ball long.”
LIVERPOOL’S DEFENSIVE ISSUES
This has been a problem all season long for Liverpool, and even after the World Cup break, those issues don’t seem to have gone away.
Whilst an attacker has arrived – Cody Gakpo – the January transfer window requires fresher legs in the middle of the park and another defensive brain.
That aggressive nature, cutting edge and ability to suffocate opponents without the ball has gone out of the window under Klopp.
This isn’t a short-term fix, but Klopp having to use the January and summer market to refresh certain parts of his XI and squad, before the Liverpool of old can showcase its might again.
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