LIVERPOOL 2-3 BOURNEMOUTH: WHAT JAMIE REDKNAPP SAW ON THE SKY SPORTS FOOTAGE THAT LEFT HIM FUMING
Jamie Redknapp brands Liverpool "amateurish" for taking seven minutes to replace Joe Gomez in their 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
Jamie Redknapp didn’t hold back after Liverpool’s loss to Bournemouth, calling their decision not to replace the injured Joe Gomez downright amateurish. Liverpool ended up losing 3-2 in a wild game at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
It looked like the Reds were clawing their way back—Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai scored to erase a two-goal deficit. But then, deep in stoppage time, Amine Adli grabbed the winner for Bournemouth.
The real drama came with Bournemouth’s second goal. Alex Jimenez scored while Liverpool were down to ten men. Gomez had just gone off hurt, and for whatever reason, Wataru Endo hadn’t come on yet. The Liverpool bench was fuming, but the damage was done.
Redknapp, who used to play for Liverpool, didn’t hide his frustration. On Sky Sports, he said, “You could see Gomez was badly hurt. Sure, give him a minute or two, but then you’ve got to make the change. It took Liverpool seven minutes to bring someone on, and they paid for it with that second goal. Honestly, it’s hard to believe you still see this kind of thing at this level.”
He said they’d gone over the footage, trying to figure out if maybe Liverpool had a good excuse—was there a chance to kick the ball out, was there a free kick, was the manager telling the players what to do? But no one seemed to step up. Redknapp pointed out that, sometimes, players need to take charge too. “You realise you’re a man down, Gravenberch drops into defence, and you ask yourself, ‘How do we fix this?’ But nobody did. No one was saying, Let’s get the ball out and get a centre back on. They missed the chance.”
He wasn’t done. “Arne Slot is on the sideline, telling his players to get the ball out so they can get Endo on, but they’re still giving him instructions. Just get him on the pitch. That’s the most important thing—get your kit off and get out there, mate. I called it amateur at half-time. It’s not good enough. Endo should’ve been on four minutes earlier. If he were, that goal never happens.”
After this loss, Liverpool is stuck in fourth place in the Premier League, only one point ahead of Manchester United, who still have to play Arsenal on Sunday.
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.