Mac Allister And Wirtz Were Brilliant, But Rio Stole The Show

I absolutely love Champions League nights at Anfield.

There’s something about the atmosphere, the drama and the unpredictability that makes European football special. And Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over Villarreal had absolutely everything.

We were 2-0 down, looking dreadful, and I was wondering where on earth that first-half performance had come from.

Then we fought back, got ourselves level before half-time and eventually found a way to win.

Seven goals, another European comeback and three Champions League victories from three matches.

I’ll take that all day long.

But while I’m delighted with the result, I cannot ignore how easily Villarreal played through us.

There were two major talking points for me afterwards. One was the extraordinary talent of Rio Ngumoha. The other was a conversation about our captain that I never thought I’d be having quite so soon.

Rio Ngumoha Has Given Liverpool Something Special

What an absolute joy that young man is to watch.

I’ve been talking about Rio Ngumoha’s talent for a long time, but against Villarreal, he produced one of those performances that makes everybody sit up and take notice.

He was electric.

Every time he received the ball, you could see the Villarreal defenders becoming uncomfortable.

And that’s what I love about him.

He doesn’t receive possession and immediately look backwards. He wants to attack his full-back, commit defenders and make something happen.

Sometimes he’ll beat his man. Sometimes he’ll win a corner. Sometimes he’ll deliver a dangerous ball into the penalty area.

But he’s constantly asking questions of the opposition.

His delivery for Ronald Araújo’s goal was another example of the quality he possesses, and I loved the determination from Araújo to get there and finish it.

Rio also showed he can be dangerous operating from the right, something Iraola clearly wants from his attacking players.

He’s 18 years old, and he’s already producing performances like that on the Champions League stage.

Imagine what he could become.

He deserved every second of that standing ovation, and he was comfortably my man of the match.

Now I’ve got a message for Julian Ward.

Get his contract sorted.

We know what Rio means to Liverpool supporters. We know how talented he is, and we cannot afford to let uncertainty develop around another exceptional young player.

Give him the platform to keep improving and let us enjoy watching him.

Virgil Van Dijk’s Future Is Becoming A Difficult Conversation

This is the part I don’t particularly enjoy discussing.

I’ve got enormous respect for Virgil van Dijk.

He’s been one of the greatest defenders I’ve ever watched in a Liverpool shirt, and he’s earned the right to have an occasional bad game.

His mistake for Villarreal’s opening goal was unfortunate. He tried to head the ball back towards Alisson, got the connection wrong and was punished.

These things happen.

But my concern goes beyond that individual error.

I thought Virgil struggled throughout the evening.

His positioning wasn’t always right, his passing was unusually cautious, and Liverpool looked vulnerable whenever Villarreal attacked with purpose.

We have to judge our best players against the standards they’ve established.

And Virgil’s standards have been extraordinarily high.

I’m beginning to wonder whether we’re seeing the first signs of a natural decline.

That’s not me demanding he gets dropped immediately. It’s certainly not me forgetting everything he’s done for Liverpool.

But with Jeremy Jacquet developing and Ronald Araújo showing his quality, surely we can at least discuss what our future centre-back partnership might look like.

I’d also have liked Virgil to consider stepping away from international football after the World Cup.

Those additional matches and journeys take their toll.

Time waits for nobody, even footballers as magnificent as Van Dijk.

Mac Allister And Wirtz Are Showing Their Quality

Alexis Mac Allister was absolutely brilliant.

Two goals in a Champions League comeback, another excellent performance and yet more evidence that he’s rediscovered his form.

I’ve criticised him before, particularly last season, but I’ve also been quick to acknowledge how much better he’s playing now.

And if he continues performing like this, Liverpool will have a very difficult decision to make about his contract.

Are we seriously comfortable allowing a midfielder of that quality to approach the final year of his deal?

I certainly have my doubts.

Then there’s Florian Wirtz.

What a difference he made when he came on.

He immediately looked confident, started dictating the tempo and helped Liverpool take control of the match.

And he got his goal.

I couldn’t be happier for him.

Some people were far too quick to write him off, but we’re now seeing the player we hoped we’d signed.

I also want to give Kostas Tsimikas credit.

I’ve questioned his quality often enough, but he’s delivered two very encouraging Champions League performances, and his attacking contribution deserves recognition.

If I’m going to criticise players when they’re poor, I have to praise them when they perform.

Iraola Deserves Credit, But Liverpool Need Better Balance

I thought Andoni Iraola handled the second half really well.

Liverpool were nowhere near good enough during the opening period, although the comeback to 2-2 gave us a platform.

After the interval, we looked far more aggressive, controlled possession better and pinned Villarreal back.

Wirtz’s introduction helped enormously.

So did the adjustments in midfield.

Ryan Gravenberch looked much more comfortable playing deeper, and I still believe Liverpool need another midfielder who can protect the defence.

Lamine Camara remains my preferred option.

Teams are finding it far too easy to play through the middle of us, and that has to change.

We’ve now scored ten goals across our last two Champions League matches, which is fantastic.

But we’ve also conceded six.

Against stronger opposition, those defensive weaknesses could be extremely costly.

The encouraging thing is that we’re seeing progress.

Iraola is getting more from his players, Liverpool are finding ways to win and the football is becoming genuinely exciting.

Now we need to turn those brilliant second-half performances into complete matches.

Brighton are next, and I want to see Liverpool finally deliver that first home Premier League victory of the season.

For now, though, I’m going to enjoy another unforgettable European night.

Three played, three won in the Champions League.

And Rio Ngumoha, take a bow, young man.

Much Love.