There were plenty of positives for fans to discuss as they walked briskly away from Anfield, after a 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round.
Goals from Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa made it a very satisfying afternoon for Liverpool supporters who wanted a good performance from the team after two disappointing results.
In what could have been a banana skin had they not been at the races, Liverpool overcame a determined Accrington Stanley side to get back on track.
It wasn’t just the goals, though, that gave supporters reason to be cheerful on a chilly January afternoon.
Here, Sam Millne (@sam_millne) and Adam Beattie (@beatts94) discuss Liverpool’s 4-0 win against Accrington Stanley, focussing on the forwards and the Reds’ wonder kids, with a weather-related moan thrown in.
The good…
ADAM: The manager got just about everything out of that game he could have hoped for.
He was able to manage the minutes effectively with what were presumably pre-planned substitutions, all while making proceedings look fairly routine.
You’d even be hard-pushed to pick out four players you’d sooner have seen get on the scoresheet, all for different reasons.
It is difficult to read too much into the individual performances given the level of opposition, but Endo is emerging as a more than passable centre-back option at a time when we look threadbare, and Danns continues to keep people on the edge of their seats.
SAM: Aside from obviously winning and getting through to the fourth round, it was a much-needed opportunity for Slot to give minutes to squad players who could yet be essential this season.
Having not got on against Tottenham, it was great to see Elliott influential and Quansah grow into the match.
Off the pitch, it was also a welcome sight to have more youngsters at Anfield, with tickets marginally more accessible for the FA Cup fixture than usual.
If we don’t get young fans to the match regularly, too many will grow up viewing football solely through a camera lens.
While there is no easy solution to Liverpool’s ticketing problems and lack of children in the ground, cheaper tickets and a separate allocation would be a start.
The less good…
SAM: Having said all that about getting the youngsters to the match, they will hopefully not have been put off by the freezing conditions!
Anfield was bitterly cold, even at the back of the Kop which usually has a microclimate of its own.
On the pitch, I imagine Nunez was the only player to come away somewhat disappointed. He missed wildly with a couple of good chances, but did at least stay involved to help set up teammates.
Often the job of Liverpool’s striker is to create for the widemen, but you would prefer our No. 9 to have a little more composure in front of goal.
ADAM: I certainly underestimated the number of layers required on Saturday!
The scheduling across the third round has felt like overkill for the purpose of TV and it feels a shame that the Anfield experience for the visiting players of Liverpool persuasion was sanitised by the least appetising kick-off time possible.
Rant aside, like Sam I thought that Nunez flattered to deceive on an afternoon which ought to have been an opportunity to run riot.
You sense his days are becoming numbered if he doesn’t catch fire soon.
Which of the fringe players would you look to get involved more?
ADAM: All the talk post-match understandably centred around the quick feet of Rio Ngumoha, but for me the one to keep an eye on in the short term is Danns.
It looks as though the club will try and secure him a loan move this month, and if they get it right, we could have a serious forward option on our hands next season.
I love his enthusiasm and he came across really well in his post-game interview. If we are to lose the vice-skipper in the summer, it will be nice to have another local boy to get behind.
SAM: Having watched him impress at the academy this season, it was nice to see Ngumoha get the spotlight he desires.
However, similarly to Adam, I think Danns is more developed and, in my opinion, is as good an option as Nunez at the moment.
He just has a knack for scoring goals and he is definitely cooler than his Uruguayan teammate in front of the posts.
It would be great to see him get more chances under Slot but, if not, he should be heading out on loan for experience.
Elsewhere, Endo put in another quietly brilliant display as he dominated in defence, albeit against fourth tier opposition, and is surely now making Slot take notice.
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