Got What They Deserved, Hull City 3-1 Liverpool Post Match Thoughts

Give credit to Hull, their high pressure game paid off in dividends. They even managed to do it without compromising the back line. Liverpool allowed themselves to get out of their game and were bossed by Hull in the midfield. Beyond that Hull managed to stay very compact in the back limiting Liverpool to few clear chances. It is quite unfortunate Hull's chairman decided to spark a controversy that would unite all the Hull fans around the club right before this match. The atmosphere in the stadium of defiance and anger was clearly fed upon by the Hull players who were galvanized and played their asses off.

That said, Hull were extraordinarily lucky, relying on one deflected shot and an own goal to get what they needed. It just wasn't meant to be today for Liverpool. Liverpool looked tired, disjointed and completely unprepared. This has to be on Rodgers. Injuries cannot be an excuse. Everyone looked off. Passes were misplaced routinely, passes were behind players, and wayward. Hull clogged the midfield and Liverpool were then unable to force the play down the wings. Liverpool didn't have a single successful cross.

This is not the end of the world, but it is also not at all how Liverpool would have wanted to start the grind that is the December fixture list. Norwich should be a decent game to bounce back with, but nothing is a guarantee this year and if Liverpool approach that match with the same laze it will be a long December.

Some thoughts:

-Leaving Coutinho on the bench when Sturridge was already out was questionable. If he is fit enough to play, he is fit enough to start.

-Once again Liverpool look unbelievably vulnerable to the counterattack. That is a problem with the midfield.

-How unlucky can Skrtel get? The first goal was a lame shot, never going to score until it deflected off Skrtel. The second was going wide until he got his head to it. A match he'll want to forget and also begs the question, what did Agger do to Rodgers?

-Sterling struggled to get involved in the same manner as he did last year. Obviously his lack of true match fitness this year was quite apparent there. He has to be more involved.

-Suarez was credited with zero successful dribbles. It would take me too long most likely to look back and see the last time that happened. Everything was just off.

-It didn't help he had no one making the runs Sturridge normally makes to open up a little space for him either. It shouldn't take Sturridge to do that. Any player at that level should understand the concept. Instead Suarez looked more like a lone striker all match.

-Screw it all, on to Norwich, put this behind you.