I thought Steve Cook and Nathan Aké had strong games up at Anfield, even if things did not go well in the end with conceding three goals. They had a hard job to do and they new that before a ball was kicked, but while they looked up to the challenge I did not think they were given enough support or protection by their colleagues.
Steve Cook was just as much in the thick of it with Firmino posing plenty of trickery for the Bournemouth defender. Cook was reading the game well though and was thinking quickly to make clearances before Liverpool players could get shots away and even when they did he blocked well. Steve Cook is the kind of player you want in the trenches when things are really hard, because he digs in and is so defiant.
Despite the two centre-halves' brave attempts to defy Liverpool they ultimately came up short you could argue, but they were not so well protected. Asmir Begovic will be annoyed that Henderson was not closed down for the ball in for the fist goal and that he himself spilt Mane's header, but the third goal was lost up field and Francis didn't offer much resistance to Firmino when he looked to shoot.
So the goals keep going in against the Cherries, and while Tyrone Mings could find himself on the bench against Man Utd, I wouldn't say there is much popular demand for Aké or Steve Cook to be dropped.
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| I can't fault Steve Cook for his tenacity and determination, but both he and Aké need help to get a clean sheet. |
The art of defending is not appreciated enough in the Premier League, and when we get excited about seeing players like Mo Salah every week you can see why perhaps. But it wasn't exciting to see Salah run at Aké for much of the game. While Nathan marshalled the Egyptian better than most, he could not stop him from extending his goal count to 30 in the Premier League this season. For the goal, Aké was perhaps feeling already guilty for an incident a moment earlier, when he put a hand on Salah's back in the box, but Salah got a yard on Aké and positioned himself perfectly for his headed goal from Alexander-Arnold's deep cross.
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Steve Cook was just as much in the thick of it with Firmino posing plenty of trickery for the Bournemouth defender. Cook was reading the game well though and was thinking quickly to make clearances before Liverpool players could get shots away and even when they did he blocked well. Steve Cook is the kind of player you want in the trenches when things are really hard, because he digs in and is so defiant.
Despite the two centre-halves' brave attempts to defy Liverpool they ultimately came up short you could argue, but they were not so well protected. Asmir Begovic will be annoyed that Henderson was not closed down for the ball in for the fist goal and that he himself spilt Mane's header, but the third goal was lost up field and Francis didn't offer much resistance to Firmino when he looked to shoot.
So the goals keep going in against the Cherries, and while Tyrone Mings could find himself on the bench against Man Utd, I wouldn't say there is much popular demand for Aké or Steve Cook to be dropped.
Ake is joining Liverpool in the summer
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