When Liverpool registered 28 shots at Old Trafford in their third meeting this season, it took their total to 87 shots against Manchester United in three games since December. And they didn't win any of them.
"Knowing Jürgen Klopp, he will not be happy with them stats," said former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo when Tribalfootball presented him with the numbers.
"The players haven't been making the right decisions at certain moments to get them the goals they need to get over the line, especially against Manchester United. They've played so well against them, but just haven't been taking their chances," Matteo continues while also lamenting certain defensive frailties.
"Maybe they haven't found the best back four yet at Liverpool this season because of injuries. Players have had to come in and do a job, which they've done very well. But sometimes, with that little bit of lesser experience in the defence, the little mistakes do come in. And we can't always rely on Virgil all the time," says Matteo, praising the big Dutchman in the Liverpool defence.
"Van Dijk has been outstanding. He's so pivotal in what this club does going forward because he leads by example. Everyone's looking at him because he's the leader, he's the one driving these lads. He's not happy because he knows defensively, we haven't been good enough at times."
Big Ange at Anfield
Speaking of Virgil van Dijk, the Dutchman has publicly rued Jürgen Klopp and assistant Pep Lijnders leaving Anfield this summer and Matteo has a favourite candidate he'd like to see take over at Liverpool.
"I like Big Ange (Ange Postecoglou) at Tottenham. I don't think the Tottenham fans like me saying this, but I genuinely think he's the right fit. The way he plays, the way he improves players. He plays a brand of football the Liverpool fans like as well.
"He's got a little bit of experience now in the Premier League and I just think he'd be a nice fit," says Matteo who listened with interest, when former Arsenal legend Paul Merson recently vented his frustration of how players with a gambling addiction are being treated by the governing body in football.
"Football is ravaged with gambling," Merson said and Matteo knows just what he is talking about. He battled the gambling demon himself and came out the losing end.
"I think it probably happens a lot more in football than what people let on. In my days all of us got caught up in having a bet. Mine were generally on the horses as I had some horses myself. When you've got an addictive personality, you get involved with a lot of stuff.
"Everyone liked a beer back in my era. Some people liked to buy horses. Some bought restaurants and bars. All these things that you probably shouldn't have been doing. But we did. And we all kind of enjoyed it for a while, but the pitfalls of getting involved with that kind of stuff is obviously quite dangerous," states Matteo who had to declare bankruptcy in 2015.
The incredible football world
"It starts off when you're a kid. There's a lot of stuff going on in your mind when you're a kid. These days you have all these opportunities online. I think it's very important for people like Merse and myself to come out and talk about it. It's important for the future. There is an addiction and it is hard to kick it. That's the truth.
"Probably the hardest one to kick is gambling, and you can do a lot of damage in a very short period of time. I talk with clarity about it now but back then there was just a lot of noise going on in my head and you're thinking 'I'll be fine'. I've got another big payday coming up soon. Generally, you're just masking stuff at that point," says Matteo who fortunately managed to get the addiction under control, only to find himself attacked by a life-threatening brain tumour.
He underwent surgery in 2019 and had to re-learn even simple things like drawing a square, but luckily declares himself "okay" these days.
"Obviously, I have to have regular scans and make sure I keep an eye on stuff. You never know. At the moment, I'm feeling great, I have a scan coming up over the next few weeks. I'll get my results, come back and hopefully go again. Positivity is key when you're in this position and that's what I believe in", says Matteo, who came out the other end with one great experience.
"The football world has been incredible with me. When I was diagnosed and things weren't going great for me, the football world got around me and really helped me. So that's the positivity I take out of it".
- Dominic Matteo was talking to Tribalfootball on behalf of William Hill
