Transition to 2015 a Bit Rough

Well if the note that Liverpool ended on was a high one, then 2015 was a bit sharp on the scale.  It was just a bit off and a bit grating to the ear.  Liverpool by no means played a bad game.  There were glimpses and flashes of the team we saw against Swansea City.  Yet, overall, it just wasn't the type of match the supporters would've expected after such a strong showing.

Leicester came out with the energy and passion you would've expected to see from the Reds.  Liverpool was immediately thrown onto their heels and the Reds defended decently despite a sure goal being turned away by the Kop's woodwork on an early free kick by Riyad Mahrez.  Once the game calmed down a bit, Liverpool took things into their hands.  They pressed the attack and spread the field nicely with the speed and fluidity up front with the trio of Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Coutinho.

Liverpool had their opportunities to score from the run of play, though rarely really tested backup keeper Ben Hamer.  It was not until a more than fortunate penalty was given for a handball that actually hit the defender in the head that Liverpool was able to hit the net.  More possession and attack yielded no result until another handball in the box gave Liverpool their second goal and Steven Gerrard his.

Normal fans would think the game was in hand and Liverpool seemed to be coasting to another victory.  An early injury in the second half to Lallana may have actually cost Liverpool the game or at least raised questions about the lineup going forward.  While Lallana would not have really figured into either goal actually scored by the Foxes, it was more what it did to Liverpool.  Despite the uproar that a new goalkeeper is needed in the January window, Simon Mingolet played a solid match and nothing could be done about either goal.

The first goal for Leicester was an absolute sparkler from the top of the box.  Nicely settled down and left for the Evertonian David Nugent to spank past the defender and past the outstretched hands of Mingolet.  The Belgian keeper was screened but would not have had a chance even if he wasn't.  With a score of 2-1, one could understand the Foxes being deserving of a tally given their hard work and unfortunate luck with the first penalty against them.  However, they were not satisfied and Liverpool did not get their weight back on the toes.  Less than two full minutes later, Leicester evened the game.  Jefferey Schlupp took a good one time pass with a couple knocks and slotted it into the left netting with a solid left footed shot from the top of the arc.

While there were defensive lapses earlier in the play that led to the Foxes first goal, the second lay squarely on the backline and defending in general.  A lackadaisical Raheem Sterling failed to account for Schlupp behind him, allowing the initial pass.  Then Kolo Toure and Emre Can failed to close down on the shot before power could be put into it.  The uninitiated will say Mingolet's attempt at the ball was poor and even the keeper himself may feel he could've put more power into the dive.  However, any goalkeeper has no choice but to think Can is going to block that shot and then when it slides through the wickets, the goalkeeper has next to no time to react.  Tie game.  Done and dusted as they say.

Liverpool created more chances once they caught their breath.  Two good chances came to the much debated Fabio Borini, one that seemed a tap in that the Italian striker managed to put a yard or two over the bar.  Jordan Henderson whipped a strong shot toward goal as well, but ultimately well wide.

While my previous article focused on the positives to end 2014, this one will no doubt come off decidedly more negative.  It is not for lack of effort.  You can still see how the current formation benefits this team the most.  However the questions raised in my previous blog and in this game will have great bearing on where this teams heads in 2015.

The defending is still awful.  Brendan Rodgers is a proud man and a shrewd tactition, but his refusal to even entertain the idea of hiring a defensive coach may cost him his job.  With no true goal scoring threat on this team, the constant glut of chances and goals given up along with the lack of clean sheets simply cannot be sustained by a winning club.  Emre Can has done a fine job in a position that is not truly his own, however for the second straight contest he stumbled and looked foolish on a ball that drifted over his head.  Mamadou Sakho has proven himself to be a very good positional defender, but looks like a recreational league player at times when the ball is at his feet.  Kolo Toure and Martin Skrtel are essentially the same player.  They are solid defenders when at their best, but often slip to ground or grab their opponents at inopportune times.

The offense is still stagnant.  Despite the breath of fresh air that was the Swansea match, the offense still struggles to actually score from the run of play.  One could argue that Liverpool was outscored 2-0 or 2-1 given that both goals coming off penalties that in other matches may not have been called.  Yes, the Reds created offense and Sterling and Coutinho are deadly with the ball on their shoestrings at times.  However when you see that Liverpool had 18 total attempts and 6 on target, one really struggles to remember a good save from Hamer.  The attempts on target were not usually effective and the quality chances were mostly missed.

Rounding back to the thought that Lallana's injury costing Liverpool, you could just see the change in the team.  Fabio Borini is a decent player and would probably start for several clubs across the world.  However due to the reaction from Rodgers toward the player and Borini's need to prove he can play at Liverpool, #29 simply tries too hard.  A calm, composed player with the backing of his manager would have been more likely to slot home the game winner.  Instead Borini simply charged around to show his effort and then banged his goal over the bar.  The injury placed in a player who is trying too hard and also changed the dynamic of the team.

While the attacking triangle of Sterling, Lallana and Coutinho is a bit fluid it is almost always Sterling at the top.  Sterling was forced deeper due to Borini's inclusion and there was a sudden lack of creativity from the midfield.  This cannot be blamed on Borini or Sterling's positions alone, but there was a decided drop off in the mental stability of this team when the team sheet changed.  The same can be said of Rickie Lambert's inclusion for Alberto Moreno.  The entire team shape was altered and though Lambert set up a potential chance for Borini, Liverpool just did not strike fear into the defense the way they had.

Taking a disappointing draw result away, these questions still have to be dealt with by the team because once Daniel Sturridge is healthy, there are going to be alterations to the squad.  Whether by an addition in the January window or simply the return of Sturridge, by the end of January the starting XI is not going to be the same as it has been the last two or three games.  Liverpool must accept this and find a way to threaten the goal no matter who is on the pitch.  The positives, though few, that can be taken from the game are that Liverpool threaten anyone and everyone with the 3-4-2-1 and an attacking triangle of Sterling, Lallana and Coutinho.  The team showed good spirit even after the equalizer, when earlier in the season we would've seen a go-ahead goal from the Foxes.

It comes as little consolation in the moment, but Liverpool at least gained points.  Not only on the pitch, but with Arsenal getting blanked they gain ground on the Gunners and stay right behind West Ham, who also drew.  Liverpool now has 9 days off from Premier League action and can rest a few legs.  Whether Rodgers chooses to do so is another matter, after stating he is determined to bring silverware to Anfield.  Ultimately, if the game is viewed in a microcosm, then it is simply a disappointing draw.  When viewed on the larger scale it harkens back to past problems and raises new ones.

The Reds are fortunate in that their next two opponents aren't flying high at the moment and Liverpool has already handled lower level squads.  Leicester wasn't flying high either and stole a point at Anfield though, so nothing can be taken for granted.  Perhaps now that the busy holiday period is done the Reds can settle down, figure things out and play good football.  Walk on.