Solid Way to End 2014

2014 has seen several highs and lows for Liverpool Football Club.  The year started so well with an incredible run of form last season to begin the year.  The SAS was flying and the first league title for the club this century seemed like it was in sight.  Then the clouds began forming.  Several things did the club in at the end of last season.  A poor showing against Crystal Palace and a massive slip by Steven Gerrard against Chelsea really cost Liverpool and allowed Manchester City to leapfrog the team.

The summer didn't go quite as planned either.  Despite signing their superstar striker to a massive contract just months before, Luis Suarez was sold off to Barcelona, whether by the player's own design or feeling forced due to the player's actions during the World Cup.  The money allowed the club to make several signings in terms of quantity - something the club desperately needed due to their inclusion in the Champions League - but it would be quite some time until fans and supporters would see anything resembling quality from those players.  There was also the failure to sign the desired strikers in the summer window as well.  Those failures, coupled with several attacking players passing Liverpool over in Rodgers' past, raise questions over the manager's ability to bring in striking options.  Whether you blame the manager's inability to sell these players on his ideal or if it is the case of finances or simply too many fingers in the player pool pie, it does cause fans a great deal of discomfort.

Then came the start of the 2014-15 season.  Despite the optimism of finishing in second place the season prior and the hope that the influx of speed and fresh faces would propel the club even further, the team struggled out of the gate.  Nobody looked at ease in any aspect.  Even when the club had its full compliment of players, including Daniel Sturridge on the pitch, the players, the manager and the fans all looked out of sorts.  Fans wanted good performances and tried their best to spur on the team, including the much maligned Mario Balotelli.  Players wanted the team to do well and to do well individually, but often tried too hard.  Brendan Rodgers, for his part as well, often looked lost.  While seemingly every decision he made last season was the right one, the opposite was happening to begin 2014.

Poor results in the league, terrible form in Champions League, no attacking options after Daniel Sturridge's injury, little to no confidence on the pitch and dreadful defending were all a recipe for a disastrous begin to the season that actually saw the storied Liverpool club briefly in the relegation zone.  Many - or at least a very vocal minority - were calling for Rodgers' job all the while too.  It has been a rocky climb back up, but the team has shown sparks and brief flashes of what they could be.  The team is by no means out of the woods and could fall just as quickly, but the stormy seas have at least calmed over the holiday period.

If Liverpool can string together good results and make a climb back to toward the top of the table, we may well look back to a 3-0 loss to Manchester United as the turning point.  While the scoreline was no doubt a bit of embarrassment, the final tally did not fully show the effort and fluidity that Liverpool showed on the field.  They created more chances in that one fixture than perhaps the last month or two combined.  The Reds were not rewarded for their efforts due to sparkling goalkeeping of David De Gea and terrible defending on their own part.  Despite the ugly scoreline, it was perhaps the prettiest defeat of the season.  That confidence in the attack has carried forward to good effect.

The Reds turned those chances into goals in the Capital One League Cup match on December 17 against Bournemouth.  A 3-1 decision over a lowly club from divisions below may often be scoffed at, but when a team has struggled to gel and perform the way Liverpool have, one needs all the confidence you can gain.  A 2-2 draw against Arsenal was, once again, a less than desired result given the way Liverpool played.  The team played inspired football and showed great heart battling back to equalize after going down by a man.  Despite what the pundits shouted from their cushy couches in front of the TV cameras, just because points were dropped, again due to poor defensive work, you cannot say that the team did not perform well and show good signs for the future.

As there is with any growth, there was a bit of pain in the Burnley match.  Again, poor defensive work almost gave the game away.  The goalkeeping situation became a bit of a farce when Brad Jones had to be subbed off due to an injury and that substitution almost came back to bite the club when more fresh legs could've been used later in that match.  But the points were gained in a rather ugly 1-0 win over a possible relegation squad.  However, similar to how Liverpool needed the kind of performance they saw against Manchester United regardless of the outcome, Liverpool needed all three points in that match regardless of how they got them.  It was the kind of win that showed the Reds that every opponent needs to be feared and you have to play better each and every match.  (As an aside, the result looks much better when you see that Burnley poached two points on the road at the Etihad and Liverpool got all three on the road at Burnley.)

Then Liverpool closed out the year in style.  A 4-1 thrashing of a Swansea City side that were ahead of Liverpool in the table was just the way to end 2014.  Not just for the fans, but the players and manager as well.  No, the result of the game was not indicative of the gap in quality of the teams.  Despite Liverpool's dominance for the opening 30 minutes and solid possession in the second half as well, the team showed it's flaws and were not truly a 4-1 decision better than Swansea.  However, it was the culmination of a long and winding road to end a year that could be described as the same.  It was a match that showed this team that great effort as a team out performs anything they could attempt to do as individuals.  It was a culmination of Brendan Rodgers' efforts to get this team believing in itself and his systems again.  While fans have every right to not buy in 100% yet, you can see that the team has and that is at least an encouraging thought.

The new signings are progressing, perhaps slower than anyone anticipated, but nicely.  Adam Lallana's two goals against Swansea may have cemented his place in the side for quite some time.  Excluding his bizarre red card offense in Champions League, Lazar Markovic has turned into a pacey wing option and his touch is much improved.  Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno, though still not included in the team as often, have shown improvements as well.  Despite any misgivings you or I or anyone may have with the formation, the 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1 formation seems to have placed all these odd pieces in spots on the field that suit them best (for the moment).  Even Mario Balotelli, in his few opportunities, has had several scoring chances and quality ones.

2015 holds more questions than certainty for this Liverpool squad.  A big one is what becomes of the squad and/or the formation when Daniel Sturridge is healthy?  Do we see an attempt at the Balotelli/Sturridge partnership that Rodgers had envisioned in the season's early days?  Do we simply see Sturridge take Sterling's spot at the top of the field and see Raheem drop back a bit?  If that happens, who is the midfielder that gets dropped?  Lallana?  Coutinho?  Gerrard?  What of the defense?  Despite their improvement with the system, they still cause anxiety, especially on set pieces.  Do you hope to score more goals than your opponents like last season or do you seek extra pieces in the January window.  Do you look for another goalkeeping option in January?  Does the team look to bolster the attack with a more true striker as well or do you hold out for Divok Origi in the summer?

We all have our opinions on each and every topic listed there.  Some may like the option of two strikers but want a new keeper.  Some may say defense has to be addressed and let the attack handle iteslf.  There are plenty of combinations.  That said, the inclusion of Daniel Sturridge back to the lineup will probably not be enough on its own to propel this club to championship heights.  Changes will have to be made, whether in January or over the summer.  However, regardless of your feelings on the manager or the players in the current squad, all fans should be able to agree that given the past week the prospects of a good 2015 surely look a lot brighter.  It should be a fun year and it was truly a good result to end 2014.  Health and happiness to all in the New Year.  Walk on.

Late Equalizer Gives Reds Much Deserved Point

Heading into an all important matchup with their Londoner rivals, Liverpool again employed a rather unusual formation with seven midfielders and three defenders.  Although you can argue whether it can sustain this squad for the rest of the season, it has yielded decent results.  Not only has it improved the team on the scoresheet, the team itself just seems to flow better and have better energy.
Liverpool came out and dominated the first 45 minutes of play.  They probably should have had more goals at the break than they did, given the effort.  However, despite a quality goal from Coutinho, the Reds ended the first half tied up due to their lack of defending set pieces.  Much like their counterparts, Liverpool again struggle to attack the ball and keep track of their man on free kicks and corners.  It was again their downfall in the first half.  After dominating possession and scoring chances, Liverpool could not hang onto the lead.  One may question whether the offense whistled against Steven Gerrard was actually a foul or not, but the fact is it was called and Liverpool failed to defend it.

Surprisingly, the Reds have defended as a team better with only three true defenders but they still continue to prove that no matter who cracks the lineup that changes are in order.  Whether they happen in January or during the summer window, there are still changes that must be made in the back.  This fact was on full display for the go-ahead goal by Oliver Giroud.  Arsenal did come out with more pep and possession in the second half, but still were not creating much.  Then, in the usual lapse of marking, Giroud was allowed a full strike on the ball just steps away from the six yard area with all three Liverpool defenders being in a triangle around him but at least two meters away.

For long stretches it appeared as though Liverpool would miss out on any points, very similarly to the Manchester United fixture.  Both matches saw Liverpool create chances aplenty and possess the ball in fine fashion, only to see mistakes at the back cost them.  Fortunately for the Reds, whether by injury or simply current form, Arsenal is not United.  Even after Liverpool were forced to go down by a man, following Fabio Borini's red card (and perhaps final act in a Liverpool kit), Arsenal were more than willing to let Liverpool run at them and create.  Blame the players or blame Arsene Wenger, the bottom line is Liverpool will take it.

The Reds deserved better than a loss.  Yes, sometimes you lose when you don't deserve to.  That's football.  That's sports.  But, on this night, Liverpool got at least partially what they deserved.  One could argue they deserved all three points, but at least a draw was something this club needed.  While they did not gain any ground against Arsenal, it was still a valuable point.  Even though there is still half a season to go and this writer has done his best to see the positives, a loss in this match would have made it exceedingly difficult to see Liverpool making a charge at the top four.  Liverpool have not fared well against the teams above them in the table.  They needed actual representation of the improvement they have seen rather than just moral or mental victories.  Three points would have been much better, but not giving up on the match and banging home a header from Martin Skrtel to equalize was a good way to go into the Christmas break.

Questions continue to rise for this team.  Though I have long argued for a two striker system, I am not quite sure you alter the team just yet.  What can be done about the defense?  There is no doubt the team has performed better with three at the back, but there is little doubt that whether you use Skrtel, Kolo Toure, Sakho, Dejan Lovren, Javier Manquillo, Glen Johnson or Moreno they still seem to give up unnecessary chances.  It is a team rife with question marks and doubters, but there are at least tangible positives to see.

Lazar Markovic, while still raw, is starting to look like a good talent.  There were flashes of a Raheem Sterling from two years ago.  Much like Sterling's first chances in the first team, you can see the talent there, it just needs to be nurtured and brought along.  Even from the beginning of the season, Markovic's touch has gotten much better.  Whether he is worth the transfer fee is up to discussion.  The team as a whole is producing a lot more as well.

Three goals against Bournmouthe, two against Arsenal and lots of chances against United have at least given fans hope that the ball will hit the back of the net each match.  Fans were hoping for three points, but a gift of one for Christmas will at least tide them over until Boxing Day where they can hope for the full three against Burnley.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and best wishes to Liverpool FC and all the fans from St. Louis to New York and out to the rest of the world.  Walk on.

Kick to the gut

We were all ready to get back to league action following the long international break.  So it seemed anyway.  Reality set in quickly following a rousing start to what had to be three points for Liverpool.  Rickie Lambert finally got off the goose egg, scoring his first goal of the season and the first in the kit of his boyhood team.  It seemed like a storybook start to what could have spurred the Reds on to a great week and perhaps turn the season around.  Instead, the fairy tale turned to the stuff of nightmares coupled with the same mistakes that keep burying this storied club further away from their goal.

It seemed like Liverpool had solved their issues.  Scoring a goal only 90 seconds into the match on a great lofted ball and nicely finished off by Lambert.  It seemed like a perfect start that would erase all the scoring woes of the Reds.  Lambert getting the goal, Liverpool getting a league score by a striker not named Sturridge, solid midfield hookup with the forward lines:  it all seemed like the day could end with nothing but a positive result and a good start to a week that, on paper, featured three winnable games.  Then it all went to pot.

Dwight Gale, the thorn in the side of Liverpool the last two matches against Crystal Palace, evened up the scoring and despite a few good chances and a bit of attacking play, Liverpool never really threatened again.  As a fan, hope was given as the halftime analysts still thought Liverpool's talent would overcome and their skill would provide a game winning goal.  Instead, the second half provided little attack and more defensive mistakes.  The same defensive mistakes, one might add.

It has been a frustrating time to be a supporter of Liverpool.  What makes it most frustrating is the confusion of how one or two players can alter a team to this extent.  The defense was mediocre last season, so the addition of a few players, given their form at the moment, could not be expected to cure all ills.  The enigma that is the Liverpool offense is what is so puzzling.  Before the team dealt him to Spanish giant, Barcelona, it was already well known that Luis Suarez was a world class player.  It was always going to be difficult to replace him, if for no other reason than the fact that nobody plays like Suarez.  Alexis Sanchez, now of Arsenal, is the closest in terms of work-rate, however nobody (even the players who are better than Suarez) really matches the man in ever category.  Even so, the drop off in goal scoring has been astounding.

Scoring goals is by no means an easy task.  Yet, no matter how talented the duo is or was, it is mind boggling to see a team so eager to attack and break apart a defense become so listless and toothless up front.  The problem, right now, is team wide and seems to be affecting every single player's performance.  It is a problem of confidence.  Any problem in the team has spread to the other parts.  Poor defensive play or tactics forces the midfield to worry too much about helping out at the back.  Poor midfield play, in terms of poor passing or badly timed giveaways, forces more pressure on an already shaky back line.  The problems with the strikers are well documented and that forces both the midfield and defense to worry too much about trying to score when it may not even be their job.

The Crystal Palace match was a prime example of that last point.  Outside of the Lambert goal, the best chances close to goal actually came from Martin Skrtel and Javier Manquillo.  Those that watched the match saw how those chances were butchered, but what else can be expected from defenders who are not used to the pressure of hitting a target?  One can say you should expect more from everyone and while correct, should we really think we will get it when it hasn't happened all year?  Of course following a result such as this, the calls for Brendan Rodgers' job have ramped up, perhaps rightly so.

Those need to be tempered slightly though.  Yes, given this poor run of form from his team and a seeming lack of desire, there is plenty of blame to be put on the manager.  But there have been some, even in the media, who think Rodgers may not make it past the new year.  Really?  That is such utter nonsense that it is laughable.  Far be it from me to say that won't happen, because the reality of European football is that is could.  What benefit would that serve though?  Even if you fire or sack him right after Christmas, the new man would have approximately two weeks to bring in someone new to fit his style after observing the club for a respectable amount of time.  That is not enough to fix this club's issues.  As an American, I can give a unique perspective.  We have so many sports that the idea of lower teams defeating you is more common place.  It doesn't affect a coach's job as much as in Europe.  Also, more often than not, a midseason change does nothing for the team other than simply change for change's sake.

Rodgers should be evaluated at the end of the season and given a proper January window to attempt plugging up some holes.  Rodgers has to figure out what players play to his style the best or fit a style to the players.  Soccer or football managers really have little to affect a match outside of instilling a belief in their men and putting out the best starting 11.  The back four have given Rodgers little options, since everyone has played poorly at different times.  Alberto Moreno bombs forward, leaving holes behind at times, though it is still curious why he was left off the team sheet.  Dejan Lovren simply looks lost if the ball is not in the air.  Martin Skrtel, though he has his backers, is incredibly inconsistent and seems like he cannot defend without pulling or tugging.  Manquillo, though young and making a few youthful mistakes, seems like the best of the options and he has been left off the team more often than not due to him being a loanee apparently.  There are options on the bench.  However, those who really believe Kolo Toure, regardless of his good performance against Madrid, won't make the same mistakes Skrtel and Loven make are delusional.

The biggest issue Rodgers has in front of him, is the apparent lack of desire in this club.  Perhaps Suarez brought so much energy to the team last year that so many issues were covered up.  Now, whether the absence of said player or the manager's sudden lack of ability to inspire his troops, this team is stuck in the lake with no rudder and no wind in the sails.  My one major fault with Rodgers, outside of picking a starting 11, has been his unwillingness to accept blame following matches.  Now he has done so.  Perhaps there was no other option, but Rodgers can see the writing on the wall and knows it really is up to him to figure it out.  Everyone needs to do their part.  Players have to perform.  Do your own job to the best of your ability and there is enough talent on this squad to get results.  Players have to perform, the manager has to make good choices and the Reds need a bit of luck.

Couple all of that with a good signing or two in January and this team can still make top four.  That is what has to be focused on.  The league, unfortunately, has been gone for some time.  Fourth place and maintaining a spot in Champions League is still alive because of all the teams in front of them.  Thin hopes, perhaps, due to the number of teams above Livepool but many are still clubs that could fall off in the second half.  It's all up to the men in the kits and on the sideline.  Will this team pull triumph from the jaws of defeat or will they be known as the team that went from the brink of winning a title to the mediocrity of the lower portion of the table?  It is all up to them.  All the supporters can do is pour their hearts out, as they do week in and week out and hope.  Walk on my friends.