Liverpool Continue Their Jeckyll and Hyde Performances

In the latest episode of As Liverpool Turns, the game did not start on the correct foot.  Since the initial shine wore off of Jurgen Klopp, the team he is in charge of have been Jekyll and Hyde.  We saw the Hyde part toward the beginning of the match, especially in the back four.  After being the saving grace in their Boxing Day match, the back four were to blame for the initial goal given up against West Ham in the first match of 2016.

Alberto Moreno made a run up the left hand side, only to be fouled and not given a free kick.  Whether you believe it was a foul or not quickly became irrelevant.  Moreno stayed on the ground in an effort to make it look worse than it was, West Ham drove down through his vacated position and slipped a beautiful cross inside the box.  It was finished off by Michail Antonio and so were Liverpool.

The Reds looked a shambles during the opening quarter hour.  Very little in attack and akin to a man's first attempt at walking on stilts in defense.  If not for the woodwork, Liverpool would have been down 2-0 in the 17th minute after Manuel Lanzini sent a knuckleball past a bewildered Simon Mignolet, only to see it ricochet back toward the field.

In attack, Liverpool looked just as shaky in the first half.  There was no attack for the first few minutes and when they got a little more cohesive, none of the attacking players were able to keep the ball settled down.  Sadly, the Reds' best attack in the opening half hour was when Jordan Ibe dribbled it over the endline.  That same statement could be made for the entire half, with the exception of a few decent corners and a side footer from Emre Can knicking off the crossbar.

As a whole, the opening half was just a shambles.  Fortunately for the Reds, the back four rebounded from their weak start and redeemed themselves.  Moreno came all the way across the field to make a smart tackle to avoid a shot on goal and Nathaniel Clyne made a block during a counter attack that would have seen Mignolet have a 50/50 chance, at best, to save it.

Liverpool opened up the second more positively, but things just weren't quite on.  Benteke was set up nicely by Moreno in the 51st minute, but oddly opened up his body to direct the shot well wide instead of trying to strike the ball.  Then, despite the ok chances and decent possession, it all went to pot.  Andy Carroll, was set up with a header on the counter attack and the former Liverpool striker made his ex-team pay.

That would be the final score and continue to prove that this current incarnation of Liverpool are simply an enigma.  They show up against the big boys, but in a season where the big boys are not the teams to contend with, they fail to play well enough against the other clubs.  What is more, this squad always seems on the cusp.  A win would have seen them, if only temporarily, within two points of a top four spot.  Now they remain five back with Spurs still to play this weekend and playing equally enigmatic Everton.

There are excuses, but weak ones.  Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are all out with various injuries.  With the exception of Ings and Sturridge though, none of those names really pop off the page as really making the difference in any loss this season.  January might provide no reinforcements, regardless of their need.  Whether they are truly good enough or not, these players have to stand up and be accounted.  This run of inconsistency is simply not good enough from a professional at this level.

Random Thoughts:
- As much as I may dislike Adam Lallana, perhaps the team does play better with him in there.  A trio of Coutinho, Firmino and Ibe should be a force to be reckoned with.  They should have been switching constantly and making runs in behind to support Benteke.  Instead, they were mired in quicksand without a clue.

- People wanting to get rid of Simon Mignolet should watch the 69th minute.  He is pretty bad at corner kicks, that much is true.  However, he is one of the better shot stoppers in the league.  He denied Carroll on the initial header and then sprawled to collect the rebound as well.  I've made this point in the past, but unless there is someone out there that is head and shoulders better in every aspect, I would not be willing to change goalkeepers simply to have someone who is only better at defending corners.

- Chances are Liverpool will have to wait until the summer to make any significant additions.  That said, every mediocre to poor result makes even myself hope for something to happen in the January window.  Initially it seemed a good idea to wait, let the season play out and hope players returning from injury would be enough.  Now, standing pat in the winter seems a terrible mistake.

Walk On