Bordeaux Win a Step Forward as Liverpool Confront Weak Anfield Form
Goals from James Milner and Christian Benteke secured Liverpool victory at home to Bordeaux on Thursday, sealing their progress from Group B in the Europa League—much to manager Jurgen Klopp's delight.
"When I watched football from the German side I thought maybe the Europa League for the English clubs is not the most funny tournament—when I came here everyone gave me the feeling," he said during his post-match press conference, as relayed by the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield).
"I am very happy to be qualified, the team is happy to be qualified, the club is happy to be qualified so you can be happy to be qualified if you want."
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The German has steered his side from waning European hopefuls—on three points after three games under previous manager Brendan Rodgers—to an outside bet for tournament winners after stressing the importance of a sustained run in the Europa League, and Liverpool now sit top of their group on nine points.
More importantly, perhaps, Thursday night saw Liverpool follow up Saturday's 4-1 win away to Manchester City with a comprehensive win at home.
Henri Saivet's 33rd-minute opener—from an indirect free-kick in the Liverpool box—came as an isolated incident for Bordeaux following a calamitous error from Simon Mignolet, who was penalised for holding on to the ball for too long in the penalty area; overall, Klopp's side dominated.
With the Reds looking to exorcise their Anfield ghosts of late, this proved another step in the right direction under Klopp.
A Deflated Anfield
The atmosphere at Anfield has long been a concern for Liverpool as a football club, as despite its storied and frequently referenced history, the Reds' home ground is often flat.
Klopp referenced this following November's 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, with the former Borussia Dortmund manager—not well-versed in the complexities of the Premier League's unique beat-the-traffic supporter mentality—bemused when he spotted many fans in the stand directly behind his technical area leaving before the final whistle.
"Eighty-two minutes—game over," he said, as reported by BBC Sport, pinpointing Scott Dann's late header as the moment that sparked Anfield's exodus. "I turned around and I felt pretty alone at this moment. We have to decide when it is over."
Whether the German's use of the word "alone" was a canny play on the club's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone or not remains to be seen, but Klopp's surprise at an emptying Anfield was significant.
Months of disappointing performances under Rodgers could be to blame, or perhaps the lethargy of a modern football support, but Anfield has long been little more than a deflated mass.
Thursday night's win began as more of the same, with the home support offering little in terms of atmosphere—though they were roused throughout by the debatable decisions of referee Alon Yefet—but, as Klopp noted, the onus is on his side to improve this.
"I am not disappointed about this, the fans leaving, they have reasons. But we are responsible that nobody can leave the stadium a minute before the last whistle because everything can happen," he continued following the loss to Palace, a result which hampered Liverpool's momentum after wins away to Chelsea and Rubin Kazan.
"Between 82 minutes and 94 you can make eight goals, if you want, but you have to work for it. That is what we have to show and we didn't."
Klopp wants his side to battle until the final whistle and demand enduring support from Anfield; he wants them to build momentum, following up their bright away performances with matching displays at home.
On Thursday night, Liverpool went some way to ensuring this.
Liverpool 2-1 Bordeaux
Liverpool were never going to replicate their effervescent display at the Etihad Stadium against Bordeaux.
The majestic, free-flowing, front-footed attacking football employed by the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana was as close to Klopp's successful Dortmund side as Liverpool have got so far this season; it was, undoubtedly, one of the best collective performances of the season so far.
With Coutinho injured and Lallana rested, playing against a dogged, backs-to-the-wall Bordeaux side at home in the Europa League, supporters could expect a tough night on Merseyside.
Klopp made four changes to the side that triumphed over City, with Kolo Toure, Joe Allen, Jordon Ibe and Benteke coming in for Martin Skrtel, Emre Can, Lallana and Coutinho, with the makeup of his starting lineup completely transformed by the inclusion of Benteke.
The hulking Belgian provides a stark contrast to the fleet-footed likes of Coutinho and Firmino, requiring more direct service to make the most of his power and physicality.
In Europe, with the prospect of an overwhelming attacking performance something of a fantasy, this is arguably the correct approach.
Benteke was not at his best on Thursday night, with his inability to move perceptively between the lines and propensity for straying offside hampering Liverpool's buildup play, but he provided the winning flourish with a strike from the edge of the box just before half-time. He also had two other strikes, but Yefet ruled them out.
It was a decisive performance from the Reds' No. 9, with similarly efficient displays from Toure, Allen, Nathaniel Clyne and Lucas Leiva sealing an easy victory—the term "winning ugly" seems accurate.
After the win at the Etihad, Klopp described his side's performance as "far away from perfect," according to This is Anfield. As he evaluates this latest victory alongside assistants Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, he will no doubt uncover yet more flaws, but winning at home and securing a place in the next round of the Europa League are more important factors at this stage.
Following up that City win with victory at Anfield was vital as Liverpool look to build momentum, and this 2-1 win over Bordeaux was a significant victory.
A Significant Victory
"Usually in football it’s not the biggest difference [between home and away] and you should not make a bigger point of [home form] than it is," Klopp told reporters before Thursday's win, as reported by the club's official website.
"We knew about the results, but that’s all. What we have to develop, in the first case, is our performance, and that's what we did in the last weeks. Football is a results game and everybody is talking about the result against Palace and I heard that Crystal Palace deserved to win."
Klopp's emphasis on results is a salient one, and with this victory giving Liverpool vital leeway ahead of a gruelling winter schedule, the German can now focus on improving his side's performances.
This win ensures that Liverpool can head to Sion next month safe in the knowledge that they have already qualified, allowing Klopp the flexibility of rotation—the likes of academy talents Jordan Rossiter, Cameron Brannagan and Pedro Chirivella will be hoping to feature in his midfield lineup—and the option of resting key players for important Premier League clashes.
It also marks Liverpool credentials as a serious European outfit, building momentum for the season ahead.
The focus now turns to Sunday's clash at home to Swansea City—another must-win fixture—and with Liverpool confronting their weak Anfield form on Thursday, Klopp's side will be confident of another victory.
Liverpool must avoid another post-Europa defeat on Sunday, and on Thursday's evidence, this should not be an issue for Klopp's Reds.
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