Liverpool daily briefing: Reds see off Union SG, Caicedo's agent speaks on failed transfer
The LFC stories you need to know for Friday 6 October...
It wasn’t particularly pretty, but Liverpool got the job done against Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield on Thursday night.
Goals in either half from Ryan Gravenberch (his first for the club) and Diogo Jota were enough to give the Reds a second win from two in their Europa League group, and with Toulouse beating LASK in the other game, Jürgen Klopp’s side can pretty much wrap up qualification when the Ligue 1 side visit Merseyside later this month.
It may not have been a game to set the pulse racing, but there was enough to enjoy about the evening. The noise and colour of the Union fans was impressive, to say the least, while the performances of Gravenberch in midfield, and of Ibrahima Konaté and Jarell Quansah in defence, were excellent.
My analysis from the game can be found below. You can read my match ratings here, too.
Jürgen Klopp was, as you might expect, relatively calm afterwards - it was one of those nights. “I liked the start and the result and the goals and the chances we created,” he told his post-match press conference. “What I didn't like was that we lost rhythm after 25 minutes. But we got the result we wanted and we know we can do better.”
In fairness, after the drama of Tottenham, Klopp probably would have settled for a more sedate evening. Liverpool now head to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday hoping to ensure they go into the international break on a high.
I’m no Mystic Meg, but I reckon we can expect a bit more fire, a bit more intensity, and a bit more excitement down at the Amex. See you there.
Elsewhere…
Ryan Gravenberch spoke to TNT Sports after scoring his first Liverpool goal. “It feels super-good,” the Dutchman said. “It was the easiest goal of my career so far! It doesn't matter – a goal is a goal.” Amen to that.
Sunday’s Premier League opponents, Brighton & Hove Albion, staged a fine comeback against Marseille in the Europa League on Thursday, battling back from 2-0 down to get a presentable draw at Stade Vélodrome, courtesy of second-half goals from Pascal Groß and João Pedro.
The other English clubs in European action both won on Thursday night too. Lucas Paquetá and Nayef Aguerd were on target for West Ham at Freiburg, while John McGinn scored a stoppage-time winner for Aston Villa against Zrinjski Mostar in the Conference League. Rangers, who sacked former Liverpool academy coach Michael Beale earlier this week, were beaten 2-1 by Aris Limassol.
Jürgen Klopp will not be holding his usual Friday press conference today, having taken questions on the Brighton game after the Union Saint-Gilloise win. His quotes will be available later today.
The fallout from last weekend’s defeat at Tottenham, with the Independent Key Match Incidents Panel for the Premier League now reporting in their review of the latest round of fixtures that Diogo Jota’s second yellow card, awarded for a challenge on Destiny Udogie “did not meet the threshold” for a booking. Three of the five panellists, apparently, believed Jota should have stayed on the field. That’ll make Jürgen feel great, I’m sure.
There was good news for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been called up to the England squad for their forthcoming games against Australia and Italy. Again, he was listed as a midfielder on the official list.
Caoimhin Kelleher, however, has suffered a setback, with a cut to his knee requiring stitches. Kelleher was not involved against Union Saint-Gilloise for Liverpool on Thursday, and was withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for their upcoming fixtures against Greece and Gibraltar.
The agent of Moisés Caicedo has admitted that Liverpool offered the Ecuador midfielder “a more stable project” than Chelsea when attempting to sign him in August. Speaking to YouTube channel Futbol sin Cassette, Manuel Sierra opened up on the whole saga: "Liverpool was always interested in Moi,” he said. “The truth is, we had meetings during those months from January to May. But after May, we never heard anything more. The first thing we were told is, 'Tomorrow, you have to go to Liverpool for a medical.'
“Of course, what's our reaction going to be if we haven't negotiated, haven't talked, haven't seen anything at all? Even Klopp wrote to Moisés with Brighton's permission and all, but Moises was clear all along, and we were clear all along that if Chelsea matched or offered the same conditions that Liverpool could with Brighton, as I said, they surpassed it. So, there were no complaints.
“In the end, it's very complicated. Imagine that you're being written to and called by Jürgen Klopp that Liverpool is calling you. We're talking about something really big, one of the best teams in the world, just like Chelsea. Well, with a more established and stable project than what Chelsea has today, which is a very ambitious project looking ahead to two years.
“So, when Liverpool comes and approaches you in that way, obviously Moisés gets dizzy, I even get dizzy myself, and he says, ‘Man, we must be doing something right, you know.’
“But Chelsea was by our side all along, asking us, not for much time, they were asking for an hour, I mean, just an hour, so that Brighton could tell them the conditions to match the offer.
“As I said, they were given an hour, which turned into two days of negotiation. Also, because they had the handicap that the first game of the season was Chelsea vs. Liverpool, it would have been a bit awkward to present it on the day they play against each other.
“It's like an unwritten agreement to not laugh in each other's faces. So, in the end, after the game ended, they gave us the green light, he passed the medical examination, and on Monday, we were presenting him."
Ryan Gravenberch- ‘ a goal’s a goal’ ...except when VAR get involved lol
I think I'm even more confused about the Caicedo negotiations now. Clear as mud :D