Neil Lennon couldn’t help but notice Jurgen Klopp’s reaction to the goal which consigned Liverpool to a second home defeat in four days this afternoon.

Crystal Palace left Anfield with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Eberechi Eze’s 14th-minute strike, with the 25-year-old left with charitable time and space to steer the ball past Alisson Becker for the match-winning moment.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, the former Celtic manager pointed the finger of blame at several Reds players over that costly moment.

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Lennon said: “I’m just looking at Jurgen Klopp’s reaction. I’m a good lip-reader; he’s gone ‘wow’. It’s a really good move from Palace, nine or 10 passes, cut back to Eze. Down Palace’s left-hand side, they are getting a lot of joy.

“Bradley is roaming and wandering and they have been punished. Endo is not picking up, Van Dijk is not picking up. Konate is ball-watching. It’s a wonderful goal.”

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Klopp appeared to be stunned and speechless over the manner in which Liverpool conceded that goal, and his reaction was bound to have been mirrored by Reds fans everywhere.

Jamie Carragher spoke before the match of how LFC needed to tighten up defensively and kick their habit of falling behind if they’re to stay in the title race, but those familiar failings were borne out again today, and this time there wasn’t to be a determined comeback to secure victory.

From the defensive lapse which led to Eze scoring, to wasting a succession of chances in the second half, this result was a collective blemish from Klopp’s side, whose form has nosedived at the worst possible stage of the season.

Klopp seemed to be at a loss afterwards to explain how Liverpool got nothing out of this match, and one can only imagine how he dealt with the lack of concentration over the goal which ultimately consigned his team to a hugely damaging defeat.

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Liverpool fans couldn’t believe what they were watching in the defeat to Crystal Palace today, and neither could one pundit during the second half.

Despite the Reds having a succession of chances after the interval, they failed to find a way past Dean Henderson and succumbed to a gift of a goal to Eberechi Eze in the 14th minute.

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The home side’s profligacy was summed up on 75 minutes when Curtis Jones was through one-on-one, but missed the target completely from penalty spot range with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live in response to that huge let-off for the visitors, Neil Lennon said: “This game is bonkers. It’s absolutely bonkers. I’ve never seen misses like this in my life. Jones is one on one, steadies himself and puts it wide. It’s an incredible miss.”

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When Jones contrived to fluff that glorious opportunity, you got a sense that it simply wasn’t going to be Liverpool’s day, and so it proved.

The Reds have failed to score in only three games all season, and two of those have been in the last 72 hours. At least there was more of a performance today than against Atalanta, but the wastefulness from Jurgen Klopp’s side was unforgivable.

Manchester City and Arsenal fans must’ve been horizontal with laugher at the chances that we passed up against Palace, and six shots on target out of 21 in the full match simply isn’t a good enough strike rate.

Champions prove their worth during the run-in to the season, either to drive home a sizeable advantage or hit the turbo on the final straight to clinch glory.

Unfortunately, Liverpool are faltering with the finish line in sight; and even with both of the other title contenders still within arm’s reach, momentum is well and truly against us after this weekend.

Quite simply, there’s no more room for error for the rest of the season, and even then we’re left needing favours from other teams, but the Reds simply need to be better at taking care of their own business.

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Neil Lennon was left suitably impressed by one ‘absolutely brilliant’ move that almost forced a Luis Diaz equaliser.

The Colombian (signed for £37m in January 2022) went for the sensational with a scissor kick that severely challenged opposing No.1 Dean Henderson in the Crystal Palace box.

“Absolutely brilliant football. What a save, what a move. Luis Diaz scissor kicks that in the air and it almost goes in, Henderson has to punch it away. It’s brilliant football,” the former Celtic boss spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live (via BBC Sport).

Eberechi Eze, sadly, was the man to break the deadlock after some lax defending in the Reds’ box.

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Liverpool not learning lessons

It’s difficult to come away from observing the first half of action at Anfield feeling as if lessons have been learned.

Once again, we’ve appeared too slack and lethargic in key defensive moments, whilst not capitalising on a bajillion scoring opportunities in the final third.

In the context of it being Jurgen Klopp’s final season at L4, not to mention one of the German’s three final home games, it’s especially disappointing.

This wasn’t the right time for everything to fall apart, Liverpool. This shouldn’t have been in the script.

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Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has said that one Liverpool player is in the midst of a ‘big spell’ which could have huge consequences not just for his Anfield future but his wider career.

The injury to Alisson Becker has seen Caoimhin Kelleher thrust into the spotlight as the Reds’ starting goalkeeper in their last three games, and the 25-year-old is also set to deputise against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Republic of Ireland stopper has had to be patient for first-team opportunities on Merseyside, where his status as backup to the Brazilian has also seen him play second fiddle to Southampton’s Gavin Bazunu at international level.

Speaking on punditry duty for Premier Sports Ireland last night, Lennon – who guided Celtic to the Champions League knockout stage in 2013 – said of Kelleher: “This is a big spell for him now on a personal level, not just in his career. There’s going to be a lot of Irish fans and potential Irish coaches watching him in this spell.

“Alisson isn’t going to be out for a long time and he hasn’t played a lot of football, Caoimhin. He needs to show that he can perform at this level. He has done it in cup finals, in cup games against Premier League opposition, but he hasn’t played a consistent run of games for a long, long time.

“That’s why Bazunu is getting the nod ahead of him. In the goalkeeping department, compared to a lot of other countries, Ireland are well off. What you want is that competition and somebody to push.

“We don’t know if Caoimhin is the one to do that at the minute. From a personal point of view, he needs to play and he needs to play well.”

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The microscope has indeed been placed firmly on Kelleher amid the injury blow to Alisson, and the Irishman has kept two clean sheets in his three matches since the first-choice ‘keeper tweaked his hamstring against Manchester City.

The 25-year-old’s other game in that period was a rather more difficult day for him as he conceded three against Fulham, with the Londoners’ two first-half goals at Anfield very much preventable.

In the wake of that performance, he’d have had plenty of scrutinous eyes on him in the match against Sheffield United on Wednesday night, but thankfully he came up trumps when his team needed him.

Kelleher dug Joe Gomez out of a hole in the 13th minute after the defender was pickpocketed by Cameron Archer near the halfway line, with the subsequent counterattack seeing the Irish stopper stand tall to deny James McAtee.

An early goal for the Blades could’ve roused them in a big way last night, so it was a crucial stop from the Cork native, who once again showed why Jurgen Klopp didn’t want to sell him in the summer.

How much longer the 25-year-old is content to be Alisson’s backup remains to be seen, but performances like the one at Bramall Lane will do his reputation plenty of good in the wider context of his club and international career.

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A current Liverpool player has been hailed as the ‘best’ player in his position by one of his former managers, who suggested that a Premier League rival should’ve tried to swoop for him.

Neil Lennon – who previously managed Celtic in the Champions League – was a guest on PLZ Soccer‘s The Football Show when he was discussing players Chelsea could’ve attempted to lure, considering their lavish spending during Todd Boehly’s ownership reign.

When asked about defenders the Blues should’ve gone for, the 52-year-old mentioned someone who was once part of his squad at Parkhead – a certain Virgil van Dijk.

The former Hoops boss said: “At centre-half, they’ve got Thiago [Silva]. He’s still playing great. Who’s the best centre-half out there? Van Dijk, you know, somebody like that.”

Liverpool might have sold players directly to Chelsea in the past – Fernando Torres and Raul Meireles spring to mind – but even a club with as chaotic a transfer policy as the west Londoners would’ve known better than to waste their time trying to sign our powerhouse of a captain.

Leaving aside Lennon’s suggestion that the 32-year-old might’ve been a remotely plausible target for the Blues, it’s refreshing to hear the ex-Celtic manager talking up the Reds’ number 4, in what marks a welcome change from other pundits firing ridiculous criticism at him.

You can view Lennon’s comments below (from 55:56), via PLZ Soccer – The Football Show on YouTube:

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Neil Lennon believes Caomhin Kelleher needs to leave Liverpool to ‘fulfill his full potential’.

The young shot stopper is Alisson Becker’s understudy at the moment but does feature for the Reds in domestic cup competitions.

Although it’s hard to see the Ireland International replacing our No. 1 as first choice anytime soon, he is contracted to the club until 2026 and has clearly learnt a lot from the former AS Roma ‘keeper.

“Kelleher will need to leave Liverpool to fulfill his full potential,” the former Celtic manager told Football Odds (via The Kop Times). “It will be difficult for him to displace Alisson Becker. However, he is still young and has plenty of football ahead of him. I’m sure he and Jurgen Klopp would have had conversations about this.”

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The life of a second choice ‘keeper, especially someone as talented as Kelleher, certainly isn’t ideal but he’s a huge favourite of the fans at Anfield.

He was superb during our League Cup campaign last term which ended in triumph after we defeated Chelsea on penalties in the final – the 24-year-old even stepped up to the spot and fired home his own spot kick during the shootout.

A loan move could be on the cards if he’s looking for regular first team action as we can’t see the club allowing him to leave permanently anytime soon, unless that is something he pushes for himself.

Every time he’s been called upon he’s performed well so you’d expect there to be a number of clubs keeping an eye on the situation.

He’s still young and got a very promising future ahead of him and although we understand where Lennon is coming from, we’d love to see Kelleher remain at Anfield for the foreseeable.

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Celtic boss Neil Lennon has compared Liverpool’s struggles of late with Celtic’s circumstances this term, citing the loss of fans as a major contributing factor.

The Reds did temporarily benefit from the return of spectators following an easing of COVID-19 restrictions but have since followed suit with other Premier League clubs in playing games behind closed doors, in light of updated government guidance.

“It’s not normal because with the fans, it’s not been the same, and I think the players have felt that more than anybody else,” the 49-year-old told The Herald. “I’m not saying any other club, but I’m talking within the club the players have felt that loss of spark, that energy.”

There’s no questioning the loss of the Anfield faithful and the potential resulting impact on performances; the supporters can be a massive source of motivation when the side is behind or exactly the injection of adrenaline we need when we’re in risk of dropping a lead.

Quantifying their influence in relation to points is a near impossible task, of course, but it’s fair to say that our fans do genuinely make a difference – though, it is a problem shared, to a certain degree, across the league.

Lennon’s right to highlight their importance, however, it’s clear that a great deal of Liverpool’s issues stem from a range of other sources – most notably the gaping hole left by sidelined stars Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

Additionally, prior to our FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, the Reds looked bereft of confidence in the final third, despite showing glimpses of their title-winning form.

A new centre-half wouldn’t be a fix-all solution, nonetheless, it would help provide more certainty in defence and ensure that key midfielders wouldn’t have to be pulled back into the back four to make up for the loss.

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Yesterday, Celtic were named champions of the Scottish Premier League.

The Bhoys are nine points clear of Rangers and it was decided to cancel the competition and decide standings on a points per game basis.

Naturally, it’s led many supporters to declare their win a ‘tainted title,’ but manager Neil Lennon has issued a measured response which very much equates to how we feel regarding Liverpool.

“Tainted title suggests some sort of illegality, some kind of cheating going on. We’ve done nothing wrong,” he said, cited by football writer Graham Spiers.

Liverpool are 25 points clear, but unlike Celtic, will likely get to win our title on the football pitch, albeit without fans in the stands.

The Premier League wants to return in June and players will be back training with each other this week.

However, due to the break in the season, you can guarantee rival fans will use it as a stick to beat our brilliant campaign.

But Liverpool didn’t choose this. If it were up to us, obviously, we’d have won the title in normal circumstances and enjoyed the party we’ve waited for 30 years to celebrate.

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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is up for a number of awards at the moment, and it now appears that he’s up for another one with GOAL 50 on the horizon.

GOAL have spoken with former Celtic team-mate Scott Brown and manager Neil Lennon about big Virg, and his old boss described him as the “best in the world”.

The centre half is one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or award, which will be announced in the next three weeks, and what Lennon says may be confirmed by his fellow pros!

Take a watch of the video below:

Does @VirgilvDijk remember @ScottBrown8?

Of course he does!#LFC @CelticFC pic.twitter.com/HP7WbwFkfe

— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) November 12, 2019

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Ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon claims he knew Virgil van Dijk would not stay at the Glasgow club very long right from day one.

The defender made such a good impression in his first training session, Lennon says he was instantly sure he could become the player he has become now.

Celtic signed the Dutchman from Groningen, before he moved to Southampton in 2015. Since coming to the Reds, he has proven to be great value for money, even at a world-record £75 million.

Speaking to BT Sport on Saturday afternoon, Lennon said: “I was really surprised that no one came in earlier for him when he was at Celtic.

“After one day I pulled him in after training and said to him, ‘Look, you’re not going to be here long, so enjoy yourself’. He was just that good. He had everything: pace, great physicality, technique and superb in the air in both boxes.”

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Van Dijk has certainly proven his former boss to be correct – in every aspect, he is absolutely world-class.

There is no better centre-back in the Premier League – or indeed, the world – at this moment in time; he’ll be a big miss in the first leg against Bayern Munich at Anfield, when he is suspended.

He will return to the side for the trip to Old Trafford next weekend, and will be available for the second leg against Bayern next month.

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