I think it had the feel of an old fashioned FA Cup tie. It had the lot. Forest did really well.
They battled ever so well throughout the entire match, but if you look at the statistics at the end, to be quite honest, Liverpool should have put it to bed much earlier. Our quality in the last third was so poor. That’s the only reason why we didn’t win comfortably.
The effort in the first half was very good. They worked their socks off. If that had been the full first team on paper, it would have been over in the first half. Jurgen made seven changes out of 11 and there were a few players who didn’t hit the spot.
They were sloppy, giving the ball away and the final pass wasn’t there in the first half. Consequently, in FA Cup ties that is dangerous.
But we saw it through at the end and that’s the main thing. They got the job done. In a cup game you don’t have to win four or five nil and get all the plaudits, it’s just about getting into the next round and they did that.
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Diogo Jota delivered the killer blow eventually but he had a poor game. I did that many times in my career.
I had a poor game and scored the winner. My name is in the headlines and I’ve thought ‘I don’t deserve that’. The lads have done a great job keeping a clean sheet and I’ve gone and had a poor game but scored the winner.
But that’s what it is when you are a goalscorer. If you look at Jota’s stats this year, he’s been brilliant. In the last couple of games while he’s been injured, that’s what we’ve missed.
Bobby Firmino doesn’t get in those positions because he does too much work outside the box. But Jota is always on the shoulder - as Sadio Mane is many times - when a ball comes in.
Goals like the one he scored are worth their weight in gold. You don’t have to score from 30 yards. It’s a really good cross from Kostas Tsimikas, who struggled himself, but he’s got an assist and that is what he’s good at.
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Despite the atmosphere at the City Ground, Liverpool have the mentality to get through anything. They’ve got Virgil van Dijk acting as a leader at the back.
They call them the mentality monsters. The belief they’ve got and the clean sheets that we’ve had over the last few months have been awesome.
We haven’t been going out battering teams because we haven’t been playing as well. We’ve been dogmatic but we know how to win the game. That’s what clean sheets do.
As a manager you love 1-nils. 4 or 5-nils are great but with a 1-0 you’re celebrating that clean sheet.
Klopp will want to put Salah’s contract situation to bed
I think Mohamad Salah’s contract situation has affected him over the last few games. He’s not quite been himself.
I hope I’m wrong but I do think it is affecting him in some way. Hopefully the situation can be resolved so it doesn't play on his mind - which it can.
That’s the last thing Liverpool need with big games coming up, but it is what it is. I’m sure the manager will want to put it to bed until the end of the season but it’s easier said than done.
