Markovic scores as Wisdom closes in on Austrian Bundesliga title – Liverpool FC Loan Watch

April 24, 2017
Ben Twelves

Lazar Markovic provided the big positive of Liverpool’s loanees again last week, with the Serbian in goalscoring form at Hull City.

With Mamadou Sakho ineligible to play against the Reds and Jon Flanagan again unused at Burnley, Markovic was the only Premier League loanee to play this week.

And the winger was in great form playing from the right side of Marco Silva’s attack, as he netted his second goal for the club to inspire the 10-man Tigers to a crucial 2-0 win over Watford.

With Silva’s side having managed to stay in the game despite being a man down from the 28th minute, Markovic made a vital breakthrough on the hour mark—finishing a rapid counter-attack by slamming home the rebound after his initial header came back off the bar.

The goal capped off an influential all-round display from the Reds loanee, who took a leading role in the vital victory which ensured Hull stay just the right side of the relegation line.

?? yes @andrewrobertso5 @samclucas @HullCity pic.twitter.com/nN4TmkT5NJ

— Lazar Markovi? (@LMarkec50) April 22, 2017

It was a weekend of losses for Liverpool’s Championship duo, who at least both enjoyed full games.

Danny Ward endured a particularly miserable time at Huddersfield as his side were thrashed 4-1 by Fulham on home soil in a battle of the play-off chasers.

The Welshman was beaten by a ruthless finishing display, helpless to stop any of Fulham’s four first-half goals, and he managed to prevent further embarrassment after the break as he pulled off one excellent one-on-one save.

Meanwhile, Ryan Kent was unable to prevent Barnsley going down 3-2 at Bristol City, but the winger was again in positive form as he completed the full 90 minutes at Ashton Gate.

Playing from a wide-left role in Barnsley’s three-man attacking midfield, Kent carried the Tykes’ biggest threat despite not adding to his goals or assists tally, with his dribbling ability and pace causing problems for the home team throughout.

Onto more positive news and it was another productive week for the Reds’ quintet around the globe, with four of the five borrowed men enjoying full games at their current clubs.

Andre Wisdom‘s impressive run of form continued, with the defender helping Red Bull Salzburg take another step towards the Austrian Bundesliga title with a 2-1 win over St Polten.

Wisdom played the 90 minutes at centre-back where he has become a key component of Oscar Garcia’s defence, and he was in typically assured form as he helped record a sixth straight victory in all competitions.

https://twitter.com/jacklusby_/status/856115782828339201

After going without a start since December, Allan Rodrigues made a second in a row for the first time this season as he played all of Hertha Berlin’s 1-0 win over Wolfsburg.

The Brazilian lined up in Hertha’s midfield pivot and produced an all-action display, keeping play ticking effectively as he posted an excellent 90 percent pass completion rate, while also contributing to defensive work with an impressive eight interceptions.

In the Eredivisie, Pedro Chirivella’s run of quiet form continued as Go Ahead Eagles slumped to a fourth straight defeat with a 3-2 loss to Groningen on Saturday.

Operating as part of a narrow three-man midfield for the duration, Chirivella struggled to impose himself on a frantic and unrewarding contest, which has left the Eagles five points adrift at the bottom of the table.

In MLS, Brooks Lennon was unable to build on his excellent goal of last weekend, with the American in quiet form as Real Salt Lake went 3-1 down to Atlanta United.

The striker played from a wide-right position in a three-man forward line, but Lennon was in quiet form as he failed to post a single shot on goal—mostly down to a lack of service—as he played all 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, after a run of three starts brought three defeats, Taiwo Awoniyi was relegated back to NEC Nijmegen’s bench where he remained for the duration of a 1-0 loss to Excelsior.

Jack Dunn was the only lower-league loanee of the quartet to play this week, with the young striker continuing his comeback from injury at non-league neighbours Tranmere Rovers.

The natural striker entered for the remaining 30 minutes of an emphatic 4-1 local derby win over Southport, in which he played from the right and was in bright form as Rovers confirmed their place in the National League play-offs.

Elsewhere, Cameron Brannagan and Ryan Fulton were unused substitutes at Fleetwood Town and Chesterfield respectively, while Lloyd Jones was uninvolved at Swindon, who joined Fulton’s team in being relegated to League Two.