Tai flyer Ko AWONIYI’S SWEET STRIKE FIRES Ps first win FOREST OFF BOTTOM OF TABLE
Time is ticking on as Marsch admits ghost of Bielsa still looms large at Elland Road
JURGEN KLOPP’S Reds have lived by the club motto: ‘This
means more.’
That was certainly the case last weekend against Manchester City. And again in a tricky midweek follow-up against West Ham.
But that phrase was turned on its head at the City Ground.
Steve Cooper’s collection of Premier League wannabes, hopefuls and cast-offs managed to secure
three points thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s solo strike because, for all of Klopp’s correct post-match summary, they proved the oldest cliche in the top flight of English football.
There are no easy games. Liverpool’s boss was bang on the money afterwards. Had his team – particularly Virgil van Dijk – taken their chances from deadball situations, the outcome would have been different.
But the game is full of those moments. Liverpool blinked. Forest didn’t.
Klopp pointed out that he made five changes. And, yes, it did disrupt the visitors’ rhythm. How could it not, losing the likes of Darwin Nunez and Thiago?
Toss into the mix the extra day’s rest that Cooper’s side enjoyed from last week’s games and perhaps it was never going to be a comfortable walk in the autumnal sunshine by the banks of the River Trent.
Klopp said: “It was a game we needed to win by doing the right stuff – again, again and again.
“We didn’t. And that’s why we lost the game.
“To be honest, we should have put the game to bed from setpieces.
“But we had to make a lot of changes. We have ha playing three gam intensity. The fir Manchester City whi intense.
“Then, you have t distance in midwee here.
“So I’m not sure w praise. Steve Cooper manager and they team.
“Credit to Notting didn’t use our momen had done, you’d have different questions.”
That dissection minutes was fair to t it from Liverpool’s pe
The reaction fro
camp was very different. Boss Cooper (left) nodded in the direction of past encounters between the two clubs – particularly those in the early 80s when both jostled for domestic and European domination.
He said: “There’s a couple of factors in the result today. One, is that we were desperate for it. And the second is that there’s a lot of nostalgia and history in this fixture. It was an important day for the football club.
“This will please generations of this club’s supporters.”
Forest keeper Dean Henderson made important interventions both at the start and towards the end. He blocked Fabio Carvalho’s effort with his legs early on but saved his best effort for injury time when a magnificent left-handed save prevented Van Dijk from snatching a point.
Forest’s goal came 10 minutes into the second half when Awoniyi (right) – who Klopp sent out on loan seven times from Frankfurt to Berlin via Holland and Belgium – returned to haunt both his former manager and Joe Gomez.
The centre-half lost possession in midfield and fouled the striker, earning himself a caution. That gave Forest the chance to bang a ball into the box.
Steve Cook’s fierce drive from the right was stabbed goalwards by Forest’s striker. His first effort hit the foot of the post but the ball rebounded and Awoniyi finished by firing high into the roof of the net.
Forest lifted themselves off the foot of the table with their second victory of the season.
Cooper added: “The feeling’s unbelievable. Some of the older boys in the dressing room have said they want to bottle it up.”
far more tension and it was a much bigger task.
“However, what hurts right now is that we haven’t got a win for so long and that’s why we’ve got to stop the bleeding.
“In this business, wins solve everything and that’s the reality of it.
“When it comes to my relationship with Andrea, Angus and Victor – and the work that we’ve done together – we’re 100 per cent unified.
“I have to do what I can to help the team continue to progress, grow and be the team that we believe they can become. But I think so many of our players are actually playing really well and having good seasons.
“We’re just not rewarding ourselves enough and that’s where we are.
“I have got to help them figure out how to do that and to stay strong, confident and have belief. That’s really important.”
Furious Leeds supporters chanted
Bielsa’s name at the
King Power as they slipped to defeat. The
Argentinian (left) was sacked in February after six games without a win and remains a much-loved cult hero at Elland Road after ending a 16-year exile from the Premier League.
Marsch, by his own admission, has never been accepted by certain sections of the fanbase after following in the footsteps of such a popular figure.
He did not help himself by going down the tunnel after the Leicester defeat without acknowledging the travelling fans, who then chanted, ‘Where the f*** is Jesse Marsch?’
He subsequently apologised and, asked if he still felt in the shadows of Bielsa – the Leeds boss said: “Yes, but that’s okay – he’s a club legend and he brought the club back to the Premier League.
“There is no issue there and I respect and appreciate that the fans have a lot of love for him.”
Without a win in the league since beating Chelsea in August, the love for Marsch is seemingly running out fast.