GAK'S LYRICAL
Liverpool 4 Ipswich 1: Cody Gakpo double keeps Reds six points clear at top… but gap opening up at bottom of table
Slot's men on cruise control after first-half romp against top-flight strugglers
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SO were you watching Arend Slot? Was this display from your son’s machine exciting enough for you?
Some, like the Liverpool manager’s dad, have moaned that the team that commands the Premier and Champions League are somehow boring, such as the midweek 2-1 win over Lille.
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As Jurgen Klopp’s successor revealed, Slot Snr is one of those who don’t think the Reds are exciting enough at times.
Yet here was a side that is beginning to look unstoppable, hungry for glory, and taking nothing, at all, for granted, even against opponents arriving at Anfield struggling to stay up, wounded by a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of champions Manchester City in their previous game.
There might have been the tendency to take it easy against them, an arrogance, even, that could have been created by Liverpool’s standing on the two main stages of the game.
Not a bit of it. By half time they were three ahead and cruising, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo guaranteeing victory for a team that had already gone 17 Prem games without defeat and had lost only twice all season in all competitions.
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The first two of those strikes were superb. The entertainment level high, even against the lowly Tractor Boys.
This was the first of six games in 18 days in four different competitions for Liverpool but if Slot might be worried about that work load he needn’t have bothered at least for this one.
Ipswich didn’t lay a glove on them, in their shell from the start, damage limitation the only thing on their minds.
Slot’s men now head to his home country for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven and can cement top spot there.
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Then it’s Bournemouth on Saturday, Tottenham in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals and that 18-day stint finishes with the Merseyside derby.
Nobody would bet against them adding a further three wins following this turkey-shoot for it it’s the energy and industry that is so impressive about Slot’s machine.
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It’s the hunger and desire.
True enough there is the majesty of Salah, the brilliant eye for goal of currently injured Diogo Jota, the cunning of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and the sheer, purring class of Virgil van Dijk.
Add to that lot visionary passing from Trent Alexander-Arnold and the occasional, explosive finishing of Darwen Nunez when he’s in the mood and how could it really ever be boring?
Mix the magic with the work rate and you have a heady cocktail for success.
And as things stand the Kop could get drunk on it.
They feared that after Slot turned down the speakers on Klopp’s heavy metal football the mood music would be about a Dutchman trying to stick his finger in the dyke of despondence following the German icon’s exit.
But while they are still not exactly dancing in the aisles of Anfield they are watching a side more measured and if anything, more certain as opposed to the drama days of Klopp.
As Slot insists, and no doubt to his dad as well, his team don’t play “stupid” balls just to make themselves look good.
They play clever football instead, as seen in the 11th minute as they ripped through Kieran McKenna’s side.
Ibrahima Konate fired forward for Szoboszlai to cut in ahead of Kalvin Phillips – whatever happened to him? - then steady himself before planting his left footer beyond Christian Walton.
Ipswich weren’t helped midway through the first half when defender West Burns dropped to the turf in agony after twisting his knee in a challenge on Gakpo.
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A long spell of treatment later he was stretchered off and by the 35th minute Salah was claiming his 23rd goal of the campaign.
His finish was fabulous, exciting, even as he gathered Gakpo’s cross at the far post with his right foot then smashed in between goalie Walton and his near post high into the net.
Only Mo would have thought of doing that from an angle that looked an impossible one.
A minute from the break Gakpo, another revelation this season after a far quieter time under Klopp, profited from another scintillating move.
Ryan Gravenberch moved forward to deliver a low cross and Szobozslai connected first time.
Walton parried but only straight into the path of the Gakpo who couldn’t miss.
The fourth, and Gakpo’s second came as a result of one of those fizzing crosses that has made him Real Madrid’s No 1 target as his contract runs down.
Once that 66th minute power header went in Anfield was in party mode, Slot was being serenaded and quite of a few of those who have been taking to social media to slag off him and the team should have been feeling ashamed of themselves.
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Jacob Greaves produced a late diving header and no, this wasn’t a 6 – 0 slaughter.
But it WAS entertainment all the way. Maybe even Arend enjoyed it this time.
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