Hull City captain Curtis Davies has praised Liverpool’s display against his side on Saturday, describing the Reds as “ruthless”.
Jürgen Klopp’s men hosted the Tigers in the Premier League for only their second home match of the season, following successive wins in league and cup.
Goals by Adam Lallana, Sadio Mané, Philippe Coutinho and a penalty brace from James Milner saw the Reds build further momentum with a 5-1 victory, condemning Hull to a second successive defeat, on what was coach Mike Phelan’s 54th birthday.
Goals by Adam Lallana, Sadio Mané, Philippe Coutinho and a penalty-brace by James Milner saw the Reds build further momentum with a 5-1 victory, condemning Hull to a second successive defeat, on what was coach Mike Phelan’s 54th birthday.
Speaking after the match, Davies explained how Liverpool’s tactics made it a tough afternoon for the newly-promoted side.
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“When you play against a Liverpool team that is vibrant, exciting and enjoying itself it is tough,” he said, according to the Telegraph.
“They are a side which literally plays with [Jordan] Henderson and the two centre-halves at the back and the rest can go wherever they want.
“That is not ill-discipline, it’s organised. The interchanging, the good football, the passing—they are a very, very tough team to deal with when they are on their game.
“It is hard to lay a glove on anyone, put it that way. When there is so much interchanging you cannot put your mark on one person.
“It is tough to try and get in and try and make a tackle which makes them think again because literally one second Mane will be in that hole, then Lallana and then Coutinho.
“With the full backs playing like wingers it becomes very difficult because you end up with backs against the wall.”
Before their trip to Anfield, Hull suffered another heavy defeat at home to Arsenal and Davies compared the two rivals’ performance, however, suggested that Liverpool were the more difficult to play against thanks largely to their pressing style of play.
“Last week against Arsenal, we had 10 men but it was a different performance,” he said.
“We were good. We kept hold of the ball but Liverpool, with their pressing game, they weren’t going to be satisfied with 3-0.
“They weren’t satisfied with 4-0 or scoring five. They wanted six, seven, eight and that is the difference.
“Arsenal were like, ‘We will sit, we will let them have the ball and then we will have it for another five minutes’.
“But Liverpool didn’t give you a chance to breathe to be honest. Arsenal are a very good passing team, but a lot of their stuff is in front of you. Nice little passes.
“Liverpool have that mix of nice little passes and then people who will run and run at you and beat you as well. Like Mane. Like Coutinho. They will open the game up just on their own by making runs and beating people. It is very difficult to take.
“When we went down to 10 men then, if I am being honest, as a Liverpool player I would be thinking, ‘We can give them a hiding. Let’s be ruthless.’ And they were ruthless.”
Ruthless they were and the Anfield faithful couldn’t be happier. However, with the manager insisting that there is still plenty of improvement to be made, the German will not allow complacency to creep into his squad, especially given the fact that the season is still relatively young.
Either way, the fact that multiple players and managers alike are emerging from games against Klopp’s side battered and full of respect is a good sign and a good warning that Liverpool’s future opponents may have to give careful attention to.
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