Liverpool get £60m inspiration but Jurgen Klopp's problem remains painfully apparent
It wasn’t just the vast Anfield Road Stand that looked unfinished here.
That Jurgen Klopp’s latest Liverpool iteration remains very much a work in progress was made at times painfully apparent on a rollercoaster afternoon in which the Reds again underlined why they remain box office – if not always for the right reasons.
Indeed, there was a throbbing sense of deja vu as Klopp’s men threatened to fully replicate their troubled start to the previous campaign.
While last year Darwin Nunez was dismissed on his home debut, this time Alexis Mac Allister saw his Anfield bow abruptly ended shortly before the hour when given a straight red by rookie referee Thomas Bramall after a challenge with Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie.
Yes, studs were showing. But the instant reaction of his team-mates and those inside the stadium suggested Mac Allister was unfortunate. VAR – headed by Paul Tierney and with Constantine Hatzidakis his assistant – somehow thought it wasn’t even worth a second look. The Reds are right to consider an appeal.
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So continue Liverpool’s troubles with the number six position, the Argentine World Cup winner having remained in the role with £16.25million man Wataru Endo arriving barely 24 hours earlier and Stefan Bajcetic only fit enough for bench duty after almost five months out.
But whereas 12 months earlier they struggled to a mere point against Crystal Palace, this time Liverpool dug deep to earn their first victory of the campaign thanks in no small part to the contribution of their third summer signing.
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