Liverpool Victorious Amid Potential Controversy

There are several issues that emerged from what should've been just a nice victory for the team.  I'll try to address each while trying not to have an article that is magazine length.  Before we get to the 400 pound gorilla in the room, let's focus on the actual match first.  Clearly, from the title, you can discern that Liverpool were victorious in their first match in the Europa League tournament.

From the start, everything seemed to be going in Liverpool's favor.  They were drawn to have the opening game of two legs at home.  They were drawn against Besiktas, who are top of the Turkish league, but Liverpool have had an outstanding record against Turkish teams, especially at Anfield.  The Reds have also had all the momentum in recent weeks.

Brendan Rodgers put out a very solid team, with very few changes from the previous weekend.  Jordan Ibe was in play instead of Lazar Markovic due to Markovic's astonishing four game European ban.  The Reds came out and dominated the opening of the match, stringing together solid passes and working the ball up the field against a Besiktas formation that was clearly set up to play defense and counter.  Liverpool did a good job of holding the ball for the first portion of the first half, but when the chances weren't really coming in droves, the Turkish side began gaining confidence.  Liverpool were very lucky not to concede as their counterparts had fantastic goal scoring opportunities, including one that forced a miraculous save from Simon Mingolet in the 32nd minute.

Liverpool had their moments in the second half, both offensively - in a positive manner - and defensively - in a negative fashion.  As another example of manager's choices that continue to pay off, Rodgers put out even more offense in an attempt to win a game that was scoreless until the 85th minute.  Mario Balotelli, Raheem Sterling and Dejan Lovren all came in as attacking minded subs.  People will say Lovren is a defender, but the choice to insert him was still attacking minded because it allowed Emre Can to be pushed forward into a more positive midfield role.

Then came the controversy.  Liverpool gained their win when Jordan Ibe made a brilliant run up the right wing and sliced into the box.  Ibe was taken down and the Reds were awarded a penalty kick.  Mario Balotelli slotted home the spot kick into the bottom left corner and that was all she wrote about the actual game.  Liverpool had an opportunity for a second goal late in the contest, but the ball did not find its intended target and Besiktas were able to escape Anfield down only a goal heading home.

However, instead of being able to focus on a victorious night at Anfield and setting themselves up for a potential run at a European trophy, Liverpool fans are being forced into a silly controversy and having to choose sides when they should be uniting.  By now everyone has seen the incident, so I won't waste space describing it in detail.  With little to no actual detail coming out of any players' mouths, fans are left to speculate.  Was Jordan Henderson intending to take the kick?  Was Daniel Sturridge asking Henderson to take the kick or was he asking Henderson to tell Balotelli to let Sturridge take the kick?

The bottom line, for me, is it doesn't matter.  Henderson is a fine player and is growing into the role that Rodgers wants him to play as team captain.  Henderson is not and never will be Steven Gerrard.  That does not mean that he cannot be a decent captain.  No two captains are exactly alike in either playing style or team management.  Regardless of who wears the armband though, Henderson would not be my top choice to take a penalty.  There were two to four players on the pitch I would've chosen to take the penalty before Jordan Henderson.  There are plenty of football captains around the world who are not the designated penalty taker as well.  So Balotelli taking the kick and converting should not be a big deal.

Was Sturridge telling Henderson the captain should take the kick or making a case for himself?  Neither option really changes anything either.  Plenty of people argue over kick taking chances.  Usually it is done on free kicks, when it is a little less contentious but there are no ill effects going forward.  It was disheartening to see the trio part with some discord and Sturridge seemed a little churlish when congratulating the goal scorer.  However, one should hope that the actual players left their discord on the pitch and will be fine going forward.

The other discouraging thing out of that was Steven Gerrard's comments.  While Gerrard has earned the right, as both a club legend and team captain, to speak his mind and give whatever answers to a media member's question he chooses, what Gerrard actually did was pour gasoline on the fire.  There is a section of both the media and general public that will latch onto anything negative regarding Mario Balotelli and Gerrard saying his actions were in poor taste did nothing to assuage those people's feelings.

Despite my relative youth, I see things through old school eyes most times.  You should respect authority, when warranted and should conduct yourself in a certain manner.  Did Balotelli do this in the grand sense?  Probably not.  However, I do not feel he showed anyone up.  He was not completely disrespectful in his actions.  He would not have done the same thing to Steven Gerrard, but I don't feel he was disrespecting the captaincy of Jordan Henderson by his actions either.  Balotelli is egotistical and forthright.

Many of the talents in the game are, whether we agree with it or not.  Whether Henderson was the "designated penalty taker" or not, players like Luis Suarez or Gareth Bale or Diego Costa would have all done the same thing no matter who had the armband.  Liverpool fans will all take their sides and voice their opinions.  Yet, they should all still support Balotelli and the rest of the players regardless.  Fans should want Balotelli to be returning to form because that means there are more options and more talent to be put on the pitch.  Fans should want there to be harmony in the dressing room because the better the team gets along, the more they can easily connect on the pitch.

Another issue that popped up during this game was more of an overall question and it was posed by the broadcasters on Fox's showing of the game.  It was an intriguing question that fans, pundits and the manager himself could all have vastly differing views on.  The question was, with Liverpool still alive in several competitions, where do you focus your energies?  You have an opportunity at English silverware in the FA Cup.  You have an opportunity to still push into the top four in the league.  You also have a chance to get a Champions League spot as well as a European trophy if you go all out in the Europa League.

So the big question now - with no clear answer - is where do you put your full energies.  All contest deserve a full effort from the starting XI and looking for a result.  Nobody is saying that you want to lose a competition, however all have merits.  Sometimes that is not the case.  The Capital One Cup is often looked at as a competition that teams do not mind bowing out of.

Liverpool are deep enough that they could conceivably stay in and look to win all of their goals still ahead.  The problem becomes whether you wear out your players.  Liverpool's success has come from sticking with a fairly consistent starting XI, with a change here or there.  Do you keep all those players playing in all competitions and hope for the best when your team has had such injury problems?  Or do you change it up, use your depth and focus your main starting players on one competition.  If that is your option, which do you place more value on?

On the surface, the Europa League generally falls lowest on the totem pole.  On the surface, the league would be the highest priority and then the FA Cup.  However, things are not always as they appear on the surface.  The Fox broadcast made a point and it makes sense.  This weekend's match against Southampton may provide the answer.  Southampton are currently in fourth in the table and four points above Liverpool.  Though there are also two other teams above the Reds, the outcome of that match might make it easier to focus on a certain competition.

If Liverpool lose, then they are further away from the top four and have lost to one of their main competitors.  That result would make it easier to focus on the tournaments.  A win over Southampton keeps Liverpool at least three points from the top four and possibly only one point away from a Champions League slot.  It definitely is an intriguing question that will come to bear if the team can keep their form.

Random thoughts:

- Steven Gerrard is a legend and I hold him in high regard.  However, in this instance, I feel he would've been better suited in taking a page from Brendan Rodgers' book in how to answer the penalty question.

- It always amazes me how quickly certain sectors of the public lash out.  As soon as anyone suggests Balotelli has stood up to Henderson, it makes Henderson a bad choice as captain.  As I said in the main article, Henderson is not and never will be on the level of Gerrard.  But the man is only 24.  Not all captains are fully ready to lead their team to the fullest right from the get go.  Henderson may yet grow into a quality skipper for the Reds.

- To answer my own question regarding the competitions, unless Liverpool get smacked against Southampton, I feel the league still comes first.  Cup competitions all come down to the draw.  If you get a favorable draw, then you can put your best foot forward.  If not, then nothing is certain in tournament formats even if you have the better squad on paper.  Focus on steadily moving toward a top four spot with plenty of games left in the league and see how each draw goes in the Europa and FA.

- I hate to feel so strongly about a player just now getting their first big game action, since so many look good in spurts and then fall off.  But right now, Jordan Ibe looks like the real deal.  He has speed very close to Raheem Sterling and a body more like Sturridge and great footskills.  He also has shown himself to not shrink from the occasion.  He takes players on like a veteran or like a player who does not know any different at the very least.  If he continues to improve, then his future with the Reds could and should be extremely bright.

- I was glad to see smiles on the faces of Balotelli and his teammates in training today.  Regardless of how you feel about him, Liverpool are a more dangerous team if he is in form, if he has a good relationship with his teammates and if there is no rift going forward.  There is never complete harmony in a locker room, but there cannot be an actual rift and expect there to be success.

Walk On.