SOCCER'S REBECCA LOWE IS AT IT AGAIN ... AND IT'S ALL GOOD
AS WE HAVE pointed out on several occasions, NBC
Network’s quintessential in-studio host for soccer, REBECCA
LOWE, is not just another pretty face. She has strong opinions
and doesn’t mind sharing.
You’ll never catch Lowe avoiding say, a controversial question
in order to make points with the athlete or coach being
interviewed. But, she’s at her best getting the most out of
fellow-talking heads like ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC … while
on loan to ABC for coverage of World Cup 2026.
Always curious, Lowe enlivened an otherwise formulated
Premier League Mornings pregame show Saturday by asking
panelists ROBBIE EARLE and TIM HOWARD about
Liverpool’s new coach ANDONI IRAOLA, who moved from
Bournemouth after three years of occasional success.
“When you look at Liverpool, he needs time because of the size
of the club … At Bournemouth, he started slowly. No wins in
nine [games]. Definitely [that] can’t happen at Liverpool. Can
he work his futbol quicker into Liverpool?” Lowe said, mindful
Iraola’s debut was a dramatic if less than impressive 2-2 come-
from-behind draw on the road at Newcastle.
“He can … and he’s going to have to,” said Earle, “[But] the ask
is different at Liverpool. What I noticed last week was how far
away the defenders were from the midfield … So, there’s a gap
there … and when the ball was turned over, that’s what
Newcastle exploited.
“At Bournemouth his team [tactically] was really compressed in
the opposition’s half. And, to me, it doesn’t look like Van Dijk
is comfortable with that, and that’s something [Iraola] will have
to work out.”
( That would be VIRGIL VAN DIJK, arguably the best central
defender in the EPL and the only starter from the championship
team of four seasons ago.)
“What [Iraola] did at Bournemouth is not necessarily going to
work at Liverpool,” Earle said … which led to another question
from Lowe.
Know what? She actually was paying attention to what was
being said by others … which also sets Lowe apart from most
of the competition. Listen up, guys, you might learn something.
“In terms of a step up, off-camera we’ve talked about how
managers have gone from a middle-ish job to a big one …There
aren’t many for which it works,” she said. “Why do YOU think
it could work for Iraola, from Bournemouth to Liverpool?”
“I think it will work because he’s a
good manager,” said Howard, a former goalkeeper who played
for BRUCE ARENA on the U.S. Men’s National Team and in
the EPL for SIR ALEX FERGUSON at Manchester United –
among several others.
In other words, Howard KNOWS good coaches from bad..
“The mere management point is where I have a question …
because [Iraola] hasn’t done anything … and we know the
clock is ticking. People are saying they cost too much money
… they aren’t doing well … fairly or unfairly … but he’s
inherited that.
“At Bournemouth, there was no choice. He couldn’t drop
anybody. If these players don’t perform for him, he’s going to
have to drop players. He’s going to have to shake things up.”
Or Iraola will wind up like his predecessor, ARNE SLOT who
was fired in fewer than two years after accepting the unenviable
task of replacing the wildly popular JURGEN KLOPP.
“As we saw with Slot … these players will come off the team
and guess what? ‘It’s not my fault … it’s the manager’s fault.’
There’s going to be a lot of pressure on him to manage these
players,” Howard said.
SATURDAY, IN ITS FIRST home appearance … against
Nottingham Forest (0-2) which had won in its four previous
appearances at Anfield, the last two via shutouts … Liverpool
continued its recent trend for living dangerously … twice
coming from behind to secure another 2-2 draw.
When Forest scored first – set up by a long kick by 34 year old
keeperMATT SELS that appeared offside – in the 24th minute,
it also was the game’s first shot on goal.
Then, about 8 minutes later, Liverpool apparently evened the
count but, after several minutes and no indication the play was
being reviewed, referee SAM BARROTT blew his whistle and
signaled no goal.
What for? Offsides, what else? Yet, the VAR replay seen here
on USA Network showed the alleged culprit at worst even with
Ota Aina.
“I thought the play should have reset [and the goal in the first-
half permitted],” said Howard, “because even though [the
Liverpool player originally] WAS in an off-side position, a
Forest player gets a touch or two on the ball ...but the referee
said, “No,” and he called it.”
AS IT WAS IN the season-opening tie at Newcastle, Liverpool
dominated time of possession and passes completed in the first
half but, lacking a playmaker, had difficulty getting the ball in
position to test Sels often enough.
Then, in the second half, the Reds twice overcame one-goal
deficits in spite of themselves. At least unlike a week ago when
DOMINIK SZOBOSZAL hit a PK on the final ply, in the
99th minute, Liverpool only waited until the 91st minute to pull
even and quiet the home crowd … somewhat.
This time VICTOR MUNOZ turned from about 13 yards away
andburied the equalizer high over Sels who never had a
chance.
LATER, IRAOLA expressed concern about his team’s inability
to put two halves together as well as Barrott, the veteran ref
Iraola felt might have cost his team the victory for not allowing
Liverpool to make three substitutions prior to Nottingham
Forest’s second goal.
While that might sound like a bit of a stretch, it could have
been (probably was) Iraola’s way of criticizing the officiating
without being held accountable. Given his druthers, Iraola
probably would have hammered the veteran official whose
decision to reward Forest with a PK (made easily by
MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE for a 2-1 second-half advantage)
should have been avoided.
Without consultation, Marrott immediately pointed to the spot
after goalie ALISSON BECKER collided with NECO
WILLIAMS, and it appeared, from several replay angles, that
the Forest fullback could have avoided Becker.
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Until next time ...
xzz
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