John Aldridge Laments Lackluster Performance

We knew in our heart of hearts that it would have to happen eventually. After 18 lovely games, Liverpool’s unbeaten streak came to an end in inglorious fashion. They lost 1-0 against bottom-dwellers Swansea City despite fielding arguably their strongest possible XI.

It was the kind of lackluster performance that Liverpool fans were used to seeing in the last few seasons — though not as much under Klopp, and especially not as much this season. It was the most Liverpool of outcomes to beat the league leaders only to fall eight days later to the team propping up the bottom of the table.

One person who feels all of our ennui in former Liverpool player John Aldridge, who wrote about the Reds’ pathetic defeat in the Echo.

“To come away from Swansea and get beat it‘s a real kick in the proverbials after last week,” he admitted. “It really hurts the fans - it hurt me.

Swansea did well, they set up well but we just weren’t at it.

The three lads up front were as poor as I’ve seen them, midfield was as poor as I’ve seen them for some time.

You look for a Man of the Match and there wasn’t one, not one player was even a seven out of 10.”

Harsh, but not an unreasonable reaction to watching players like Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino fall to the likes of Alfie Mawson.

Strange the difference a week makes in the psyche of a football fan. The good part about that phenomenon, though, is that Saturday’s match has the potential to change the narrative again, back to Liverpool’s favor. The Reds take on West Brom in the 4th round of the FA Cup, a competition that provides Liverpool with the opportunity to win a trophy this season. Advance to the next round and things may start to look up once again.