Liverpool Draw and Add Their Fixture Glut

Coming into the fourth round of the FA Cup, Liverpool were placed in the unenviable position of needing to rest players but not being allowed to take West Ham United lightly due to being thumped by the Hammers twice in the league.  So, what you got was a mishmash of young players and first-squad players that hadn't seen as much playing time.  In the opening 45 minutes of play, it was actually a lineup that played well.

Liverpool dominated possession, not only in general but in the attacking third.  They created a few chances, though not enough to score given the 0-0 scoreline at the half, but still enough to look positive.  The best chance was a Cameron Brannagan blistering shot that may have been heading for the lower 90, but was saved by the West Ham keeper's fingertips.  Everyone was lively and seeming to be feeding off the energy their coach, Jurgen Klopp has in spades.

The downfall of the contest was also the lineup.  The young team was no longer playing against Exeter.  They were going against an actual Premier League side and you could tell.  While there was energy and enthusiasm to burn, you could also tell this was not a starting XI that had played together.  Several ideas were tried, but did not come off due to players not only not being on the same page, but sometimes not even in the same chapter.  For as well as someone like Brad Smith has played of late, he constantly flicked balls to nowhere or sent passes to no one because there was no cohesiveness between the squad.  Ultimately it did not cost the team in the first half.

The second half was a different matter.  Both sides came out looking to end it in the first minutes.  West Ham came closest in the 50th minute when the ball was bouncing around and actually caught the arm of Steven Caulker.  Liverpool were lucky to survive both the handball and the scrum to follow without conceding.  The Reds seemed to catch their breath a bit after that scare and returned to their front foot and pushed forward.

Joao Teixeira struck one on target in the 63rd minute, trying to rip one near post that was turned away by Darren Rudolph.  Then Rudolph came up huge again in the 75th minute.  A great through-ball found Christian Benteke in the box.  His shot was quickly stopped, the rebound from Joe Allen was al but smothered and then Benteke had a second attempt that was turned away.

In the end, none of it mattered.  The game was good experience for the young players again.  From a mental standpoint, it was good to play so well against West Ham, which has not been the case in the last few matches.  But since neither team could score - though West Ham came unnervingly close in stoppage time - it means another match added to an already overcrowded schedule.  No fan wants their team to lose and no manager truly wants to give up on a match or tournament, however the FA Cup is really putting a strain on the squad.  It will be interesting to see if Klopp continues the run of younger players in the FA Cup, but for now Liverpool must focus on a rather good performance if not a result.

Random Thoughts:
- Something should change about the replays.  I fully understand that it means more TV money for the smaller clubs, which can keep them afloat for an entire season.  However, if the FA refuses to make any changes to the schedule over the holidays, then something has to give.  It just adds too many unwanted matches.

- It's easier said than done, but Liverpool need to find a game changer.  They need someone who will stand up and put the team on their shoulders in games like this.  Whether it's the first squad or this younger team, there just isn't that player in the side that you know can make the difference.

- This is truly a random thought since it has nothing to do with the game.  Forget about Alex Teixeira.  I have no problems with the player, but it just doesn't seem worth it to be held for ransom by Shaktar.  Every rumor says the price is going up and then Shaktar will say you had better double the last offer.  That's ridiculous.  Teixeira is talented, but even though all teams try to lowball their first offer there just can't be a way that doubling the price is worth it.

Walk On