LIVERPOOL MOVED ABOVE Arsenal on goal difference to take second place with a 3- 0 win away to Middlesbrough tonight.
Having seen his side beaten 4-3 at Bournemouth and then held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp dropped goalkeeper Lorus Karius for Simon Mignolet. And the Belgian kept a clean sheet on his return to the side as Liverpool won at the Riverside Stadium for the first time in 14 years to remain six points behind leaders Chelsea.
In truth Mignolet had little to do in securing a comfortable shut-out against the division’s lowest scorers, who remain in relegation danger.
Lallana broke the deadlock in the 29th minute as the hosts were stretched to breaking point by Nathaniel Clyne.
Brazilian defender Fabio gave the England full-back too much space, and when his cross made it all the way to the back post, there was Lallana arriving ahead of his marker Adam Forshaw to head beyond Victor Valdes.
Sadio Mane was lucky to escape a booking for an early dive as he looked to earn a penalty under challenge from Adam Clayton.
The Liverpool midfielder showed the more positive side of his game two minutes before the break as he almost doubled his side’s lead.
Again Boro were caught out by a pacy counter-attack, this time down the left. Mane burst through to let fly from inside the area and his low shot beat Valdes, only to hit the foot of the post.
Origi was the first to react to the rebound, and his raking shot grazed the side-netting with Valdes scrambling across goal to cover.
It proved to be a similar pattern after the break, as Valdes saved at his near post to deny the increasingly influential Mane.
Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson looked to use his arm to block the Senegal midfielder’s shot soon after, but referee Jon Moss was unmoved as the Reds closed in on the decisive second goal.
It arrived on the hour as Georginio Wijnaldum released Lallana into the box for the midfielder’s inviting low cross to be swept home from close range by Origi, whose prolific scoring run is the best by a Liverpool player since Daniel Sturridge scored in eight consecutive matches at the outset of 2014.
Origi returned the favour in the 69th minute for Lallana’s ninth goal of the season for club and country, the former Southampton trainee securing the points by firing home the forward’s cross at the far post with Middlesbrough again caught short by a swift counter.
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Klopp done the same with Moreno, defended him at the press conference, dropped him for next game, hasn’t started a prem league game since.
exactly
Well that hurts more than carra or neville..
Klopp thinks the criticism of him is wrong but still drops him..
Get in Jack butland in January
Still a great long term prospect. Right decision to get him out of the firing for a while.
After making such a song and dance about backing him he does this
Karius was one of the best keepers in the Bundesliga,I’d say only Neuer,Leno and Timo Horn were ahead of him.Liverpool was a huge step up for him and needs the break,will be number 1 for a long time
Klopp dropped him to take him out of the spotlight. He is under serious criticism and will only keep making mistakes
3nil
Middlesboro, very physical team…., no Matip…. another wobbly defending night?
Criticism is still wrong, he is just protecting him this way.
So players shouldn’t face criticism?
@Irishoversea: No, but is he not allowed to think the criticism is wrong?
Of course he is if he believes the criticism is untrue but Klopp dropping him proves that the criticism was correct..
I think Klopp knows the criticism was right, but he still has to stand by his player so he won’t admit it. Either way, I’m sure all Liverpool supporters will be delighted with this change, mind you, mignolet isn’t much better.
@Irishoversea: Maybe so, but also maybe just giving him a chance to clear the head…
I totally agree I thought he would of taken out in the last game.. it’s not nice seeing a player get so much abuse but then again the pundits are not doing there jobs if they skip over it.. we all complain when pundit don’t say what nearly every fan fan thinks..
@Irishoversea: some goalies need more time to adjust, get used to the pace, directness of the english game. Many would have written off De gea after first season. If the goalie has the quality, with confidence, it will eventually show. Klopp just giving him a break… Also good to have that competition, respond to it….
He’s only a young keeper take him out of the limelight and give mignolet a chance who is also terrible at crosses or high balls, buy Joe Hart in the summer perhaps
Joe hart? Replacing two error prone keepers with another error prone keeper. Are you mental? Look how cheap Karius was. Don’t you agree that if mignolet gets a good run and plays well that he might be attract offers in january? I suspect Karius might be the number two and that there’s a number one on the way, perrin perhaps
Hart is much better then both of them imo
Ah lad, Hart is muck.
Few blunders but he’s ten times better under a high ball then both the keepers we have
Had btts Liverpool win only thing to let me down in my accum for 1600 from a 5er . Typical
I think Karius will come good. It took De Gea a couple of seasons to settle after making numerous mistakes.