‘Wonderful’ – Accrington manager loved what ‘world-class’ Liverpool duo did after FA Cup tie
Accrington Stanley manager John Doolan may have watched his team go down to a 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Saturday, but he still had plenty of positives to take from the FA Cup clash against Liverpool.
The League Two side kept the Premier League leaders at bay for half an hour and were within minutes of going in at half-time with only a one-goal deficit, with the final two goals not coming until the last 15 minutes.
The visitors had a bright spell of their own at 2-0 in the second half, with Josh Woods hitting the crossbar and Donald Love missing the target with a free header, and they deserved a goal for their efforts in L4 yesterday.
Accrington boss Doolan praises Slot and Trent
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Doolan reserved praise for Arne Slot and Trent Alexander-Arnold for their gestures after the game, with the humility of the Liverpool head coach and vice-captain striking a chord with the Accrington boss.
The 56-year-old said (via Beanyman Sports): “I can’t speak highly enough of Arne, a world-class manager, world-class team. He invited me in for a drink and he didn’t have to.
“I coached Trent, not sure he remembers, so I walked across and he came over saying he remembers. Such a wonderful, humble guy. A top player.”
Plenty of positives for both Liverpool and Accrington
Yesterday at Anfield was one of those occasions where there was so much more to enjoy than just a comprehensive home win for Liverpool.
We saw Rio Ngumoha given a senior debut at 16, Trent netting a thunderbolt and delivering the perfect response to his recent critics, Jayden Danns show his lethal goalscoring potential again and Federico Chiesa grabbing his first Reds goal to cap a lively second half outing off the bench.
Off the pitch, there was a wholesome moment in the tunnel as Slot took the time to speak with Accrington forward Woods, the die-hard LFC fan whose ecstatic reaction to the teams being drawn together a few weeks ago went viral.
It was a rare occasion when both teams felt an enormous sense of satisfaction, with Liverpool serenely through to the fourth round and Stanley giving their fans a day out to remember by putting in a wholehearted performance with moments of quality which asked questions of the home side.
In a sport which has become so cynical at the highest level, it was wonderful to see such a cordial atmosphere between both camps. Doohan’s players were a credit to the club, and we wish Accrington the very best of luck for the remainder of the season.
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