All this and the some brutal truth summed up the week for the Reds. Here's our weekly summary of the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
The Good
First the good, and this has got to be the team's return to winning ways. To say the defeat to Burnley was a downer would be an understatement. The team travelled to Burton to take on Championship side at the Pirelli Stadium. This really was a must win game for Liverpool. The previous result had, quite rightly, raised questions over the team's ability to back up their pre-season ambition of qualifying for the Champions League.
Win they did, and in emphatic fashion. Goals from Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and a Daniel Sturridge brace after a Tom Naylor own goal saw Jürgen Klopp's men complete the mission. Damned if you do win - it was too easy, and damned if you don't - that should have been an easy game. A great big banana skin successfully navigated, and in style.
The Bad
This has got to be the continued talk of a takeover or "minority investment" in order to raise funds. Why is this so bad? Well, the simple reason is that the club IS up for sale and I don't see any point in spinning the fans this yarn.
It's well known that there are two or possibly three offers on the table for the club. These are from a mixture of Chinese and Arab buyers. It's believed the Chinese leaked the "£700m bid" story in order to force the club to act. The problem for the Chinese is that the price is £1bn. I'm of the opinion that should the Arab interest - or any other for that matter - reach the price, then Fenway Sports Group would very likely sell.
The Ugly
In an interview with Gary Lineker on BBC this week, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp gave an interesting insight into his footballing philosophy.
When asked about why a particular player isn't in the team, the manager's reply spoke volumes about his approach. "The absolute truth would be: you're not good enough!" was his brutal response. And to be fair his answer is correct. Especially his having backed it up with "...but I cannot say this!" Again. Correct and fair. The ugly bit came later, during the match with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Sturridge feeling obviously aggrieved at not starting the game, was even more incensed when Origi was brought into the game before him. God forbid! The England international had a face that was more sour than a thousand lemons!
The worst thing about this, in my opinion is that Sturridge has felt the need to make his frustrations at not "playing in his preferred position" public earlier in the week. I think for this reason, he was probably overlooked in preference to Origi. It is my belief that the modern footballer should be more professional. Big salaries carry a bigger burden of responsibility and integrity. Certain issues do not belong in the press, but should be a chat "...on the Monday morning" as Klopp went on to say. It's not as if he had been dropped for the previous game, merely played in a position he considers not to be his best.
Sturridge should be aware that his service to the team comes first, not his personal preference. For this he gets the ugly award this week, not just for his sour face, but for the entire episode. The team is more important than the individual. Clichéd? Yes. True? Most certainly!
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