Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott Miss Key Opportunity

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·30 de enero de 2025

Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott Miss Key Opportunity

Liverpool’s Defensive Frailties and Missed Opportunities in PSV Defeat

Liverpool’s heavily rotated side fell to a 3-2 defeat against PSV Eindhoven in their final Champions League group stage game. While the result itself was largely inconsequential—Arne Slot had made it clear beforehand that qualification was secured—the performance of certain players raised significant concerns.

On Post Match RAW, Guy Drinkel was joined by Jim Boardman and Dave Hendrick to dissect the match, focusing on Liverpool’s defensive weaknesses, the struggles of key players like Harvey Elliott and Conor Bradley, and the implications for the squad going forward.

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Elliott and Bradley Fail to Seize Their Chance

One of the key talking points from the podcast was the underwhelming performances of Harvey Elliott and Conor Bradley, two young players with much to prove. Dave Hendrick did not hold back in his assessment, stating bluntly:

“Harvey was woeful tonight. He was absolutely shocking.”

Despite ongoing discussions about Elliott deserving more minutes, Hendrick argued that the midfielder simply hadn’t taken his opportunities.

“Given his level of experience, given the expectation, given how highly he was held up by the previous manager—these are games Harvey needs to go into and show himself to be one of the best players on the pitch.”

Bradley, too, had an evening to forget. With uncertainty over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future, there is a potential opening at right-back, but Hendrick felt Bradley did little to stake his claim:

“Defensively, he was all over the place… He and Elliott had an opportunity to start staking claims for future minutes, and they were both dreadful.”

Liverpool’s Defence: A Mess Without Van Dijk

Liverpool’s defence has been a strong point this season, but that solidity crumbled in the absence of Virgil van Dijk. The backline of Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Andy Robertson, and Kostas Tsimikas struggled all night.

Jim Boardman pointed out the leadership void at the back:

“There were times when Robertson was panicking, looking around to see where his fellow defenders were. When Virgil plays, he doesn’t do that—he just knows.”

Hendrick echoed this sentiment, highlighting how Liverpool lacked a calming influence in defence:

“Andy Robertson is what we would call a passion merchant. He’s not going to sit down and break you out a good game plan as to how you’re gonna fight this war. That’s what Virgil does.”

The absence of a composed, organising centre-back was particularly evident in PSV’s second goal, where both Endo and Bradley failed to track the runner. Hendrick summed it up:

“Endo was really poor. Bradley was caught in no man’s land. Kellerher should have done better, too.”

Jarell Quansah: A Youngster in Need of a Reset?

Quansah has been one of Liverpool’s breakout players in recent years, but his form has wavered, leading to discussions about whether he should go out on loan next season.

Jim Boardman suggested that a loan move could help Quansah regain confidence:

“I actually suggested it might not be a bad idea to bring in someone else and loan Quansah out. He was great last season, but since that early-season controversy, he hasn’t looked the same player.”

Hendrick agreed, arguing that Quansah was being asked to take on too much responsibility:

“Last season, he came in with zero expectation. This season, people were saying he was ahead of Konate in the pecking order. That’s a ridiculous burden to put on a young player.”

Conclusion

Ultimately, while the defeat to PSV had no impact on Liverpool’s Champions League campaign, it highlighted significant squad issues. Elliott and Bradley struggled to take their opportunities, Quansah looked overwhelmed, and the absence of Van Dijk exposed the defensive frailties in the squad.

With the January transfer window closing and a crucial run of fixtures ahead, Arne Slot has some big decisions to make regarding his squad rotation and the future of Liverpool’s young talents.