WOLVES’ STEARWAY TO HEAVEN
Stearman strikes as crisis deepens for Jurgen’s flops with FA Cup humiliation
WOLVES caused a major FA Cup upset at Anfield to complete one of the worst weeks of Jurgen Klopp’s managerial career.
Klopp had said he wanted Paul Lambert to leave Anfield emptyhanded but instead it is Liverpool whose prospects this season are now beginning to look threadbare.
As the Championship strugglers celebrated a famous win by doing the Icelandic thunderclap in honour of their substitute, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Liverpool were left contemplating a third defeat at Anfield in seven days; a run that has seen them bow out of two cup competitions and leave their Premier League title prospects dangling by a thread before Tuesday’s clash against Chelsea.
Klopp gambled on picking a young and inexperienced team with Roberto Firmino the only outfield survivor from Wednesday night’s EFL Cup semi-final exit against Southampton.
Within 53 seconds, he might have been regretting it as centre-half Richard Stearman headed Wolves in front with a rare goal, albeit one that looked marginally offside. After 41 minutes, the manager definitely was rueing his team selection when Andreas Weimann scored a classic counter-attacking second.
Klopp called for the cavalry in the form of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Emre Can but it was too little, too late. Despite 80 per cent possession, Liverpool took an hour to register their first shot on target and it was not until the 86th minute that the visitors’ rookie 20-year-old goalkeeper, Harry Burgoyne, was beaten by Divock Origi.
Try telling Wolves the Cup doesn’t matter. Their normally reserved manager was an animated fireball of energy and celebrated his side’s second goal with a full-blown touchline jig and punch to the air.
The Scot has never lost at Anfield and won a Champions League game as a player with Klopp’s former club, Borussia Dortmud.
He did a total number of the celebrated German yesterday and in winger Helder Costa had the outstanding individual on the pitch. The Portuguese set up both goals and when he came off having played for most of the game with a bad ankle, the travelling fans chanted ‘Sign him up’ — a reference to him being on loan from Benfica.
‘I feel responsible for this performance. I thought we could do better,’ said Klopp after watching a line-up including three teenagers and a right-back, Connor Randall, who hadn’t played this season, crumble. ‘I don’t feel they let me down — I am the one responsible for the line-up.’
Lambert’s tactics of letting Liverpool have the ball and catching them on the break worked to perfection, aided by taking an early lead.
‘I thought if the young players could thrive on the atmosphere rather than fear it, we would have a chance. I thought we deserved it. On the counter-attack, we were incredible.’
Liverpool had not lost at Anfield for a year until Swansea shocked them last weekend. Now they’ve suffered a hat-trick of defeats in front of The Kop in seven days, with Klopp admitting: ‘We’re short of confidence, not flying.’
They weren’t overblessed with good fortune for the opening goal, either. After Alberto Moreno had fouled Dave Edwards, Costa took the free-kick from a different place to where the foul had been committed and Stearman peeled away at the far post to head in, a fraction offside.
It didn’t stop the wild celebrations among the players or eight thousand travelling fans. Stearman was a fitting goalscorer as well, he spent seven years at Molineux earlier in his career and returned on loan from Fulham last summer. It was his first goal of any kind since 2014.
Liverpool did have some experience on the pitch, with Georginio Wijnaldum and Lucas, but the setback left them rattled.
Costa went on a rampaging run past four opponents and was only stopped by a last-ditch tackle from forward Ben Woodburn, who somehow found himself Liverpool’s last line of defence.
At the other end, referee Craig Pawson waved away penalty appeals when Ovie Ejaria was blocked off by Stearman. Liverpool went on to have a few more shouts during the afternoon but they looked increasingly dubious.
After 41 minutes, Liverpool’s attack broke down on the edge of the Wolves penalty area and two passes later, it was in Loris Karius’ goal for Wolves’ second. Again, Costa was the main provider. He received a pass from Matt Doherty, easily advanced past a stumbling Moreno and slid a pass into Weimann, who rounded the Liverpool goalkeeper easily to score.
It was the Austrian’s first start and goal for Wolves, having signed on loan from Derby earlier in the month to be reunited with his former Aston Villa boss Lambert.
Klopp responded by sending on Coutinho at half-time and later introduced Sturridge and Can.
The barrage of pressure never truly came though, a sign of how they are missing Sadio Mane at the African Cup of Nations.
Ragnar Klavan missed the target after Firmino had flicked on a Woodburn free-kick while Coutinho tried a couple of pot-shots, registering Liverpool’s first effort on target, so late in coming it brought ironic cheers from both sets of fans.
Only when Origi lashed in Sturridge’s header across the box from close range late on did Liverpool believe. Their only clear-cut chance after that also fell to the Belgian whose finish was blocked by Burgoyne’s right leg on the line.
Meanwhile, Wolves nearly made it 3-1 at the other end with a three-onone break and then Lucas clearing off the line from Bodvarsson.
Liverpool have won only one of their eight matches in 2017. From being the most attractive team in the country, they look like attacking recluses right now.
Chelsea are in town next and from chasing a possible treble a week ago, Liverpool may only have a topfour place to go for between now and the end of the season. In an appeal to the fans, Klopp admitted: ‘We need everybody now.’