Liverpool FC came into the final day of the 2014-15 Premier League season with little to play for outside of pride. Only a relatively unwanted spot in the Europa League was on the line. However, Liverpool could not even muster the pride to send their captain out with style and barely registered a game played when the full 90 was finished. Only the club's leader, who will travel across the pond to play in MLS after a month off, managed to send himself off with a bit of flare. Steven Gerrard gave his fans one last memory to close out his European career, but the rest of the team let the supporters down.
Liverpool came out with a bit of attack and looked the more likely to score through the first 10 or 15 minutes. Instead, Stoke got a counter attack and struck against a porous Liverpool back line. In truth, Liverpool had their chances. Adam Lallana had at least two that he could have put away and was not awarded a penalty that could have changed the complexion of the game when it was 3-0. Other chances were missed or saved as well. In the end, it did not matter as Liverpool had perhaps the worst first half performance as a team in many a memory.
Supporters can and will heap on Brendan Rodgers. He picked this team, was part of the selection committee that made the transfers and chose the formations. However, over the course of the season, it has become apparent that neither Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp or anyone really was going to make a difference from the sidelines with this club. The loss of both Luis Suarez, to transfer, and Daniel Sturridge, to injury, was more than anyone in the club was going to be able to make up for. Really, Liverpool performed up to the standard they had last season. The results were just different.
People will say that statement is nonsense, but the club scored 99 goals last season and 52 this season. If you remove all of Suarez and Sturridge's goals from last years totals, then the goal totals almost even out over the two years. Unfortunately, that just further proves the club's inability to find goal scoring talent. There is attacking talent in this team, but it woefully underperformed all season and was nowhere close to the teamwide performance needed to replace those lofty numbers put up last season.
Supporters must now look to the future. Sadly for them, the future is very cloudy at the moment. Unless you can bring in a Jurgen Klopp, I think Rodgers will be on the sidelines next season. The problem with that is Rodgers has been an enigma in his time at Anfield. Throw away the first year as that is often a feeling out period. His second year, he almost wins the league and figures out a way to build his squad around its strengths even if it doesn't use his most preferred formation. Third season opens poorly, has a great run of form in the winter months and then hits a brick wall at the end.
Rodgers is a good tactician and knows how to place a squad when it has definitive strengths. For two straight seasons he has gotten his club to perform to top capabilities from Christmas through March. Alas, he has failed to inspire his team to perform in the spring and early fall. He has yet to show that either he or this unnamed transfer committee can choose players capable of actually performing in a Liverpool shirt.
Going forward, whether Rodgers is the manager or not, Liverpool have to settle on a formation. Yes, it is good to be fluid and capable of changing depending on personnel or injuries or an opponent. However, the Reds have used at least three formations, if not more, over the last two seasons alone. Beyond just having versatility, the players have not been allowed to settle into a steady position. Raheem Sterling has played a wingback, an attacking wing and a striker. Emre Can has played a centerback in a back three, a winger on occasion and even less at his natural position in the midfield. Adam Lallana was jockeyed back and forth between winger and wing back. Steven Gerrard ping ponged back and forth between attack and holding roles.
The list goes on and on of players put in several different spots. We were all sold on the depth of this squad prior and during the season. Now at its end, all are left to wonder who, if anyone really deserves to come back. We all know that there isn't enough money available or enough suitors for the current crop of players to make literal wholesale changes. Simon Mingolet will almost surely be the starting keeper going into next year and deservedly so given his form second half of the season. Martin Skrtel, for good or bad will most likely be back next season. Jordan Ibe just signed a new contract and will feature more prominently and Coutinho will have even more responsibility come the new season.
Outside of that, there are nothing but question marks. Rodgers claims that Liverpool will not sell and Sterling will see out his contract. A fine sentiment, but do you really want to receive no fee when the player leaves? Rumors persist on social media that Joe Allen will stay and Lucas will go. While that sentence should be reversed, I do not understand this groundswell of support for Lucas. He cannot stay healthy and provides absolutely nothing in attack. He is a solid defender, but if this club is depending on Lucas and/or Allen, then they will remain in dire straights.
Emre Can was brought in to be a midfielder and should be placed back in that role. He did a serviceable job, but is not and may never be a back line defender. He lacks the speed to play on the wing, lacks the knowledge to play well in the center and lacks the physicality, despite his size, to make the clearances he needs to. Rickie Lambert is all but gone. Mario Balotelli has loads of potential, but even as a personal fan, I understand that business comes first and this club may not be a fit and if someone is willing to spend on the Italian enigma, it would be wise to cash in. Sakho can be a good defender, but looks less comfortable on the ball than a goalkeeper.
Jordan Henderson is relatively young and capable, but isn't that top talent needed to put up performances week in and week out. Adam Lallana may stay or go and sadly, despite his effort and talents shown at Southampton, it may not actually affect the team much in either instance. Sadly, that is the case for much of this squad. Whether they stay or go, may not make much of a difference. It all depends on who the manager brings in.
I am no football genius. I do not know all the inner workings of who is available and who would be the best fit for the Reds. Danny Ings has been mentioned, but could be just another Rickie Lambert. Christian Benteke would be a nice add, but may be a pipe dream. The discouraging thing going into this summer is that Liverpool need the exact same things they needed last offseason, plus more. It will be a long offseason for this club. But, for right or wrong, those that follow the club with their hearts will drink the kool-aid come next season and will always believe. Liverpool have too much history, too much pride and too much support to become one of the also-rans. We've seen teams make turnarounds following one decent to good transfer window. All the fans can do now is hope that Brendan Rodgers, or whoever is in charge, will make good this time and restore Liverpool to some form of glory.
Random thoughts:
- For all their talents and media hype, Coutinho and Raheem Sterling did not do nearly enough this year. Both had single digit goal scoring totals, when the team needed so much more. Both will be good footballers going forward, but either lack the talent to carry a team alone or as a duo or simply need more supporting cast.
- On principle, I applaud BR for sitting Sterling. Some will say it cost Liverpool the game, but given how bad that first half went, I doubt Sterling would've made a dent. Regardless of what his future holds, Sterling should take a long look in the mirror and decide what he wants, not what his agent tells him he wants. Even taking my supporter's hat off, Sterling would be better suited continuing to grow at Liverpool and then even bigger money will be available in a few years time. If he wants less playing time and increased scrutiny that will come by playing at some other clubs, that is his prerogative. However, with the way things have played out over the last few weeks, the player and his agent have done nothing but paint the youngster in a poor light, which will not be viewed well by potential suitors.
- It was not a good year to be a manager on Merseyside. After looking like great tacticians last year, both Rodgers and Roberto Martinez had less than stellar campaigns. While both are still viewed as good coaches, their performances this year may put both in the unemployment line.
- As I mentioned in the blog, I am one of, if not the only Mario Balotelli supporters left. He presents an interesting problem for the club. If you can recoup some of your money, then selling may be a good option. However, there is talent in the man if it can be harnessed. Unfortunately, nobody has managed to do that yet. Also, to get the best out of him, you really need to form the squad around his talents, which would be a double edged sword. If he produces it works out. If he doesn't, then you may have several players in wrong positions again. This season showed that, whether it is Balotelli or even Sturridge, that playing with only one true striker (sometimes none at all) does not befit this club at the moment.
- Thank the maker that Steven Gerrard at least scored a memorable goal in his final Premier League match. It was bad enough to see his team go out with an embarrassing performance, but if he would have been subbed off at the half or done nothing of note, it would not have been fitting.
- The hole that Gerrard will leave will be bigger than just the space he took on the field. In the post match show on NBC, they spoke about the respect Gerrard gave to everyone around the stadium and training ground. From the lunch lady to the parking attendants, Gerrard was held in high regard by everyone at the club. It will be nearly impossible to replace the leadership he brought and the gravitas he carried. Sadly, we may have witnessed the last of a dying breed. In today's age, we may never again see a player spend his entire career, from youth to pro, at one club. Those with the talent are drawn away by more money. Those who stay are often replaced by someone younger. While not on the level of Messi or Ronaldo, Gerrard was a once in a generation player in his own way.
Best wishes to all you Reds supporters during this long offseason. Let us all hope for a much better end to next season. This space will not be completely void during the summer. I may transition to writing about Saint Louis FC or just sports in general. If you wish to keep up with my musings, you may follow me on facebook or twitter: https://twitter.com/TPanula. I post my blogs and YouTube shows on there.
Walk On.
Showing posts with label Barclay's Premier League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barclay's Premier League. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Game In Hand Goes To Pot
Let me preface today's blog with the fact that I did not see the entirety of today's match due to another DVR SNAFU (Which did not end up mattering as I saw the entire first half). Liverpool's faint glimmer of hope for Champions League football has been all but dashed. A midweek clash with Hull City, a squad fighting to stay above the relegation zone, seemed to be the good medicine Liverpool would need following a disappointing weekend match against West Brom. Despite manager Brendan Rodgers' claims that the club played well on the weekend and just did not score, the team failed to answer the call in a time when three points are ever so precious.
Again, three points were needed to continue any hope of playing in Europe's top competition in this Tuesday match and Liverpool, again, failed to answer the bell. This club, simply, has been a disappointment this season. Despite glimmers and flashes of what could be, there have been far too many bad performances from the team.
Liverpool did create chances. 12 shots and nine on target are not stats to be scoffed at, but the quality of some of the attempts leaves much to be desired. While the Reds could easily have had two or three goals in the first half - one coming off Mario Balotelli's backheel that went straight at the keeper, one coming off Coutinho's one-timer that went straight at the keeper and one that Jordan Henderson shot straight at the keeper - the bottom line is that the team did not finish their chances. As fans we want to believe that there is talent in this squad, but either it is not being utilized correctly or it is simply not there.
People may blame Mario Balotelli for the loss, and would not be completely incorrect, but in fairness he was in position to make three Hull City attackers offside. Unfortunately, the pass went to the one attacker smart enough to stay onside and nobody defended the ball. Yes, Balotelli played the man offside and shoulders a large bit of blame, but the lack of urgency in attempting to defend that ball was shocking. Premier League defenders should not be standing with their feet in quicksand and watching the ball go over their heads as though they were watching the first rocket blast into outer space.
One can also argue that the lack of urgency in this squad is quite alarming. Fine, you go down by a goal in a late season match, only three days removed from your last match and one on the road. But to see little to no fight after the halftime break is shocking. If not for Simon Mingolet, a goalkeeper many fans were willing to place on the sacrificial altar during the January window, this team would have lost many more than 10 games. The score would have been much worse than 1-0 in today's match as well. Mingolet has been a rare bright spot in the month of April as the team has crumbled around him.
The sad part of all this is we have reached the point where cold, hard, calculated moves must be made. Personally, I really like Brendan Rodgers. But if he has lost the ear of this team and seems unable to pull off the moves to keep Liverpool in the upper echelon, then he must go. Raheem Sterling is a great young talent. However, as good as he is and can be, seven goals is not good enough. I would not advocate selling him, but he has to do more than simply dribble and show speed to be a player deserving of the money he wants. Coutinho is in the same boat. He is a fantastic player, but more must be accomplished. He cannot simply keep the ball on a string and show filthy moves and then blast the ball over the bar. Sadly, despite their lack of truly accomplishing anything this season, those two have been the lone bright spots on this squad (at least in attacking terms).
Again, once the season is finished and every result tabulated, I will go more into depth about what this team needs and who is just not good enough. As supporters, though, we are incredibly disappointed and frustrated right now. Unfortunately, last year seems to be fools gold and we all took a piece. Everyone knew, the loss of one of the top five players in the world in Suarez was going to be a big blow, but we did not know that it would deprive the team of all its scoring. Nobody has stepped up to fill the void and players that were to be counted on in important roles like Daniel Sturridge and Lucas continue to get injured if you look at them the wrong way.
Even taking the supporter hat off, this team has become difficult to watch. The club is slow at the back, ineffective through the midfield and lack cutthroat, clinical finishing in attack. At this moment, we are all at a loss. Anger presents many options and opinions in the heat of the moment, but many are lacking any true thought or consideration. The winds of change are surely stirring inside the Shankly Gates, but for now all the fans can do is hope the season ends on an up-note. It is a sad state of affairs, given the promise going into the year, but that is what they are left with.
Walk On.
Again, three points were needed to continue any hope of playing in Europe's top competition in this Tuesday match and Liverpool, again, failed to answer the bell. This club, simply, has been a disappointment this season. Despite glimmers and flashes of what could be, there have been far too many bad performances from the team.
Liverpool did create chances. 12 shots and nine on target are not stats to be scoffed at, but the quality of some of the attempts leaves much to be desired. While the Reds could easily have had two or three goals in the first half - one coming off Mario Balotelli's backheel that went straight at the keeper, one coming off Coutinho's one-timer that went straight at the keeper and one that Jordan Henderson shot straight at the keeper - the bottom line is that the team did not finish their chances. As fans we want to believe that there is talent in this squad, but either it is not being utilized correctly or it is simply not there.
People may blame Mario Balotelli for the loss, and would not be completely incorrect, but in fairness he was in position to make three Hull City attackers offside. Unfortunately, the pass went to the one attacker smart enough to stay onside and nobody defended the ball. Yes, Balotelli played the man offside and shoulders a large bit of blame, but the lack of urgency in attempting to defend that ball was shocking. Premier League defenders should not be standing with their feet in quicksand and watching the ball go over their heads as though they were watching the first rocket blast into outer space.
One can also argue that the lack of urgency in this squad is quite alarming. Fine, you go down by a goal in a late season match, only three days removed from your last match and one on the road. But to see little to no fight after the halftime break is shocking. If not for Simon Mingolet, a goalkeeper many fans were willing to place on the sacrificial altar during the January window, this team would have lost many more than 10 games. The score would have been much worse than 1-0 in today's match as well. Mingolet has been a rare bright spot in the month of April as the team has crumbled around him.
The sad part of all this is we have reached the point where cold, hard, calculated moves must be made. Personally, I really like Brendan Rodgers. But if he has lost the ear of this team and seems unable to pull off the moves to keep Liverpool in the upper echelon, then he must go. Raheem Sterling is a great young talent. However, as good as he is and can be, seven goals is not good enough. I would not advocate selling him, but he has to do more than simply dribble and show speed to be a player deserving of the money he wants. Coutinho is in the same boat. He is a fantastic player, but more must be accomplished. He cannot simply keep the ball on a string and show filthy moves and then blast the ball over the bar. Sadly, despite their lack of truly accomplishing anything this season, those two have been the lone bright spots on this squad (at least in attacking terms).
Again, once the season is finished and every result tabulated, I will go more into depth about what this team needs and who is just not good enough. As supporters, though, we are incredibly disappointed and frustrated right now. Unfortunately, last year seems to be fools gold and we all took a piece. Everyone knew, the loss of one of the top five players in the world in Suarez was going to be a big blow, but we did not know that it would deprive the team of all its scoring. Nobody has stepped up to fill the void and players that were to be counted on in important roles like Daniel Sturridge and Lucas continue to get injured if you look at them the wrong way.
Even taking the supporter hat off, this team has become difficult to watch. The club is slow at the back, ineffective through the midfield and lack cutthroat, clinical finishing in attack. At this moment, we are all at a loss. Anger presents many options and opinions in the heat of the moment, but many are lacking any true thought or consideration. The winds of change are surely stirring inside the Shankly Gates, but for now all the fans can do is hope the season ends on an up-note. It is a sad state of affairs, given the promise going into the year, but that is what they are left with.
Walk On.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Champions League All But Gone
Liverpool came into this weekend with much to do. They needed results in pretty much every match, with all three points to come from as many games as possible. Only getting one point against a team like West Brom was not something that favored Liverpool's chances of sneaking into the top four. Unfortunately for the Reds, that is exactly the result they gained in this road match. Draws against Chelsea or even Stoke would've been more stomachable, but now the Reds must walk on with the knowledge that they could not break down a team that has flirted with relegation a few times this season.
Liverpool came out positively, as they usually do before it all goes to pot. Even without Daniel Sturridge, Lucas or Sakho, this was a team filled with enough talent on the ball to be able to do things. And things they did, until the final third. Liverpool were strong on the ball, mixed up the attack fairly well and plunged ahead with speed. Unfortunately, that same bug bit them that has been an issue all season. That bug is a lack of scoring punch.
Daniel Sturridge, for all his talents, has been a non-factor all year because he is either injured or played with a fear of getting injured. Raheem Sterling is a fantastic talent for the future, but a combination of contract disputes, a possible lack of off-field maturity and a simple positional change have limited what he has been able to accomplish this season. Mario Balotelli appears to be a failed experiment, both of his own doing and a lack of support when on the field. There are little to no true striking options coming off the bench, woefully proven by Fabio Borini coming into this match as a sub after having not even been included in the team for several weeks.
Despite the relative negativity of options, the Reds had their chances. Steven Gerrard narrowly missed on a free kick that was literally on the edge of the penalty box, in the first half. Balotelli put one over the bar as did a few other Liverpool attacks. The first half seemed littered with potential chances wasted by putting too much on and under the shot.
If the first half was a half of shots missing over the bar, the second was a half filled with chanced put off the bars. The Reds' best chance - one that probably should've been finished off - was a scramble in the box in the 56th minute. After an early scramble on the left side, Balotelli slid for a shot that was blocked by the defender. Coutinho then put it back in the mixer only to have it saved. The rebound came to Jordan Henderson. While Henderson was granted little time to decide, his shot came too low and was blocked instead of hitting a relatively open net.
Balotelli linked well on a chance for Jordan Ibe in the 63rd minute. Ibe's shot grazed the defender's leg and then crashed off the crossbar. Coutinho just missed one of his trademark long shots as it skimmed off the top netting in the 81st minute. Finally, a fitting end for Liverpool's day was a cross from Gerrard at the death that was narrowly headed wide by Dejan Lovren.
Liverpool had 74% of the possession. They more than doubled the shots taken of their opponent, 22-10. While those stats should be encouraging, they really are not. Despite 22 shots, only 5 were listed as on target, compared to four for West Bromwich Albion. As previously mentioned, Liverpool just did not take care of their opportunities. Give the opponent some credit. West Brom packed it in, often with seven or more players in the box, but Liverpool just did not have that finishing touch as they have not had much of the year. West Brom also had a pretty good record against the Reds in recent times.
The game itself was not a travesty. Liverpool had their chances. Liverpool defended reasonably well, though West Brom could have scored a couple times - one in particular that was too close was the opportunity cleared off the line by Lovren. Interestingly enough, when I awoke today the first thought in my head was what to write if this ended up being a goalless draw. Now I'm kicking myself.
In the grander scheme, this result just further cemented the uncertainty Liverpool will go into the summer with. Regardless of your feelings on him, Brendan Rodgers' job is in increasing jeopardy. Regardless of who the manager is next year, depth at striker is going to be a huge need in the off season. What is there to do about Mario Balotelli? His resale value will be exceedingly low, but if you keep him then he needs to be in a system where he is not the lone striker. His work rate and skills simply do not allow that to be a viable position for him. However, he is no longer the type of talent you can build a system to fit either. The defense has plenty of question marks as well, but I'll save that for the end of the year.
Though the game itself was simply boring, what is crushing about it is that it almost wipes out any chance at the Champions League. Realists will say it was almost impossible to begin with, but there were enough opportunities left for it still to be a reality. Now, there's just too much left to chance even if the Reds were to win out. While Liverpool has a seemingly easy schedule with only Chelsea left as a major obstacle, the teams ahead don't have much on their ledger either. Manchester United finishes off the year with matches against Everton, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Hull. Given their form, Arsenal seems the only likely spot they might drop points. City, meanwhile, end against Tottenham, QPR, Swansea and Southampton. A more slippery slope, perhaps, but still unlikely to produce the kinds of results Liverpool would need.
Liverpool currently sit nine points behind second place Manchester City, with five matches to go. If Liverpool win four of those they gain 12 points. 15 points if they upset Chelsea and won them all. Unfortunately the math just doesn't favor them. Even with all 12 or 15 points, that means that their opponents can only pick up 3-4 points of their remaining games. Sadly, that just isn't going to happen.
Random Thoughts:
- Many will disagree with me, especially given this result, but I still feel Rodgers is a good enough coach to win at Liverpool. I stated in my video blogs that Liverpool needs to put feelers out on Jurgen Klopp. If he is willing to come and not use Liverpool as a bargaining chip, then the time for change may be now. If not Klopp though, I don't see much out there that would really be better. Rodgers' failings have mainly come during the off seasons. He is a great tactitian and makes changes in season to turn things around. He must be better at judging players not in his system though, if he is to really return Liverpool to their previous heights.
- From a personal standpoint, I have come to the conclusion that Sturridge will never be fit enough to fully be counted on by Liverpool. I would not sell him for a pittance, but if you continue to try and build your offense around him, I just don't believe he will give you enough games. Sturridge can still be a valuable piece now and then if you keep him, but significant changes need to be made to the Reds' attack.
Walk On.
Liverpool came out positively, as they usually do before it all goes to pot. Even without Daniel Sturridge, Lucas or Sakho, this was a team filled with enough talent on the ball to be able to do things. And things they did, until the final third. Liverpool were strong on the ball, mixed up the attack fairly well and plunged ahead with speed. Unfortunately, that same bug bit them that has been an issue all season. That bug is a lack of scoring punch.
Daniel Sturridge, for all his talents, has been a non-factor all year because he is either injured or played with a fear of getting injured. Raheem Sterling is a fantastic talent for the future, but a combination of contract disputes, a possible lack of off-field maturity and a simple positional change have limited what he has been able to accomplish this season. Mario Balotelli appears to be a failed experiment, both of his own doing and a lack of support when on the field. There are little to no true striking options coming off the bench, woefully proven by Fabio Borini coming into this match as a sub after having not even been included in the team for several weeks.
Despite the relative negativity of options, the Reds had their chances. Steven Gerrard narrowly missed on a free kick that was literally on the edge of the penalty box, in the first half. Balotelli put one over the bar as did a few other Liverpool attacks. The first half seemed littered with potential chances wasted by putting too much on and under the shot.
If the first half was a half of shots missing over the bar, the second was a half filled with chanced put off the bars. The Reds' best chance - one that probably should've been finished off - was a scramble in the box in the 56th minute. After an early scramble on the left side, Balotelli slid for a shot that was blocked by the defender. Coutinho then put it back in the mixer only to have it saved. The rebound came to Jordan Henderson. While Henderson was granted little time to decide, his shot came too low and was blocked instead of hitting a relatively open net.
Balotelli linked well on a chance for Jordan Ibe in the 63rd minute. Ibe's shot grazed the defender's leg and then crashed off the crossbar. Coutinho just missed one of his trademark long shots as it skimmed off the top netting in the 81st minute. Finally, a fitting end for Liverpool's day was a cross from Gerrard at the death that was narrowly headed wide by Dejan Lovren.
Liverpool had 74% of the possession. They more than doubled the shots taken of their opponent, 22-10. While those stats should be encouraging, they really are not. Despite 22 shots, only 5 were listed as on target, compared to four for West Bromwich Albion. As previously mentioned, Liverpool just did not take care of their opportunities. Give the opponent some credit. West Brom packed it in, often with seven or more players in the box, but Liverpool just did not have that finishing touch as they have not had much of the year. West Brom also had a pretty good record against the Reds in recent times.
The game itself was not a travesty. Liverpool had their chances. Liverpool defended reasonably well, though West Brom could have scored a couple times - one in particular that was too close was the opportunity cleared off the line by Lovren. Interestingly enough, when I awoke today the first thought in my head was what to write if this ended up being a goalless draw. Now I'm kicking myself.
In the grander scheme, this result just further cemented the uncertainty Liverpool will go into the summer with. Regardless of your feelings on him, Brendan Rodgers' job is in increasing jeopardy. Regardless of who the manager is next year, depth at striker is going to be a huge need in the off season. What is there to do about Mario Balotelli? His resale value will be exceedingly low, but if you keep him then he needs to be in a system where he is not the lone striker. His work rate and skills simply do not allow that to be a viable position for him. However, he is no longer the type of talent you can build a system to fit either. The defense has plenty of question marks as well, but I'll save that for the end of the year.
Though the game itself was simply boring, what is crushing about it is that it almost wipes out any chance at the Champions League. Realists will say it was almost impossible to begin with, but there were enough opportunities left for it still to be a reality. Now, there's just too much left to chance even if the Reds were to win out. While Liverpool has a seemingly easy schedule with only Chelsea left as a major obstacle, the teams ahead don't have much on their ledger either. Manchester United finishes off the year with matches against Everton, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Hull. Given their form, Arsenal seems the only likely spot they might drop points. City, meanwhile, end against Tottenham, QPR, Swansea and Southampton. A more slippery slope, perhaps, but still unlikely to produce the kinds of results Liverpool would need.
Liverpool currently sit nine points behind second place Manchester City, with five matches to go. If Liverpool win four of those they gain 12 points. 15 points if they upset Chelsea and won them all. Unfortunately the math just doesn't favor them. Even with all 12 or 15 points, that means that their opponents can only pick up 3-4 points of their remaining games. Sadly, that just isn't going to happen.
Random Thoughts:
- Many will disagree with me, especially given this result, but I still feel Rodgers is a good enough coach to win at Liverpool. I stated in my video blogs that Liverpool needs to put feelers out on Jurgen Klopp. If he is willing to come and not use Liverpool as a bargaining chip, then the time for change may be now. If not Klopp though, I don't see much out there that would really be better. Rodgers' failings have mainly come during the off seasons. He is a great tactitian and makes changes in season to turn things around. He must be better at judging players not in his system though, if he is to really return Liverpool to their previous heights.
- From a personal standpoint, I have come to the conclusion that Sturridge will never be fit enough to fully be counted on by Liverpool. I would not sell him for a pittance, but if you continue to try and build your offense around him, I just don't believe he will give you enough games. Sturridge can still be a valuable piece now and then if you keep him, but significant changes need to be made to the Reds' attack.
Walk On.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Liverpool Keep Hope Alive with Win Over Newcastle
The odds of getting into the top four are fairly slim for Liverpool Football Club, but at this point in the season all they can do is the best they can and see where the chips may fall. With this in mind, Liverpool got off to a good start both overall and within the match itself. The Reds dominated the opening 20 to 25 minutes and came away with an early lead for their efforts.
Brendan Rodgers did an excellent job of changing the team shape, given his lack of choices for the team due to injury and suspension. Liverpool were without Daniel Sturridge, Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel, all of whom usually play an important role in the team. Instead of just jamming his pieces into the same formation, Rodgers went to a back four defensively and placed Raheem Sterling on the outside with Coutinho in the middle to create mismatches in attack.
The tactic paid off in the ninth minute when Jordan Henderson sent in a nicely weighted long cross from the right. Sterling neatly coddled it with the laces, sliced through two defenders and finessed the shot over the monstrous Tim Krul. Again, the opening 25 minutes went almost all Liverpool's way. Coutinho showed fantastic skill in the 22nd minute, with a nifty settle, deft flick and cross toward goal. The cross was too pacey but showed Liverpool's dominance in attack for those kinds of moments.
Liverpool also looked positive against the physicality. Newcastle were very physical after going down by a goal and the smaller Reds side managed that side of the game very well. Liverpool's downfall in the second part of the first half was on the counter attack. The Reds were extremely positive when in possession, but when they gave it up, the Magpies created several chances. Newcastle continued their attack and continued to come close to evening the game at the end of the first and opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Mingolet had a top chance hit right at him in the 28th minute, Dejan Lovren was very lucky not to concede a penalty in the 38th minute, Mehdi Abeid nearly knotted it up with a blast just over the bar right before half and Mingolet smartly dove to the right and parried away a chance in the first minute of extra time before halftime.
Despite the occasional defensive lapses, Liverpool got the job done and kept the sheet clean. Simon Mingolet was not called upon often, but came up big for his club when asked to. The back four were not stellar by any means, but played well enough given the opponent to do their job. It is a system that will not work against every opponent, but that almost makes the performance a bit better when you aren't used to something and it works anyway.
Attacking, Liverpool have not looked much better throughout the season. There have been better flashes of brilliance, but as a whole, this game showed much promise. Sterling shook off the media hype and the backlash of the fans and scored. Joe Allen, of all people, gave Liverpool a cushion when he booted home a volley after missing the initial header. Jordan Henderson looked revived and bombed up the field off the ball like a true attacker. Coutinho, though kept off the scoresheet, was excellent on the ball. He made good decisions and continues his growth as a player. The way he keeps the ball on a string is, at times, mind boggling. Sterling and Coutinho dribble into trouble sometimes, but if they can continue to grow as players and make good mental decisions, those moments are more forgivable.
The big question now for Liverpool is what to do about the lineup. The FA Cup semifinal looms on the weekend and results must be continued to keep any chance at the top four alive. Given those important fixtures, do you tinker? Despite his skill and problems created for defenders, the team has often played better when not relying on Daniel Sturridge to score. Despite his legend status and calmness on the ball, Steven Gerrard has been inconsistent in his time on the pitch. Conversely, despite their recent good run of form, do you trust Lucas and Allen to not revert to early season form? Do you trust an attacking trio bereft of a true striker?
These are questions that only Brendan Rodgers can truly answer. Once he makes those choices, it is down to the players to perform. There were many, yours truly included, that questioned the starting XI for the Newcastle match. Players are the ones that ultimately decide whether managers choices will pay off or not. In the end, no fan can say they don't want Gerrard or Sturridge on the team sheet. It merely remains to be seen what contributions they have left to make and whether those contributions are made in 90 minutes or less.
Plenty remains this season for Liverpool. Silverware can be obtained. Manchester City continues to leave the door unlocked and the window cracked on top four possibilities. It is not what fans envisioned after last season's glorious run and heartbreaking end. However, when the club is at least in a position to look to themselves and still have good things happen then the season is still on a spot to be looked upon positively. Now it falls on the players to end it right.
Random Thoughts:
- Say what you will about the contract situation and who is to blame, Raheem Sterling is still a great talent. He is not the finished product yet though. A player worthy of the salary he is reportedly demanding would finish off the left footed chance in the 57th minute. Yes, the 6'4 Krul is a daunting physical presence, but Sterling needs to finish that. It could have haunted his team. Instead it did not and the young player can focus more on the training ground to get a better weak foot.
- Coutinho continues to amaze. As much as he frustrated and lacked skill last season, he has grown by leaps and bounds this season. As mentioned, he dribbles into trouble a tad too often but his touch in tight spaces is, at the moment, top ten in the world worthy.
- As a member of the Keeper's Union, I would be misguided not to bring up Simon Mingolet with praise. I honestly wondered if he would be able to recover mentally after being replaced by Brad Jones earlier this year. We will never know if he would have been reinstated if Jones did not get injured, but instead of wilting Mingolet came back with vengence. He is still not the perfect keeper and probably not in the top 10 in the world, but he has been a huge reason the club has performed so well - results against Arsenal and United not withstanding.
- I've been particularly pleased with the growth of Jordan Henderson. After a very slow start to the year, he has performed very admirably in the absence of Steven Gerrard and even when in the team with him. Henderson has been moved around from attacking midfield to defensive midfield to a wide position and done all reasonably well (some better than others obviously). The thing that I like about him is he is simply doing the best he can. He will never be another Gerrard and fans should not judge him in those shoes. But his decision making has improved as has his skill level this season. He cannot be judged based off others achievements, but whether he is the future captain or not, he has shown that he can be a valuable asset to this club.
Walk On.
Brendan Rodgers did an excellent job of changing the team shape, given his lack of choices for the team due to injury and suspension. Liverpool were without Daniel Sturridge, Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel, all of whom usually play an important role in the team. Instead of just jamming his pieces into the same formation, Rodgers went to a back four defensively and placed Raheem Sterling on the outside with Coutinho in the middle to create mismatches in attack.
The tactic paid off in the ninth minute when Jordan Henderson sent in a nicely weighted long cross from the right. Sterling neatly coddled it with the laces, sliced through two defenders and finessed the shot over the monstrous Tim Krul. Again, the opening 25 minutes went almost all Liverpool's way. Coutinho showed fantastic skill in the 22nd minute, with a nifty settle, deft flick and cross toward goal. The cross was too pacey but showed Liverpool's dominance in attack for those kinds of moments.
Liverpool also looked positive against the physicality. Newcastle were very physical after going down by a goal and the smaller Reds side managed that side of the game very well. Liverpool's downfall in the second part of the first half was on the counter attack. The Reds were extremely positive when in possession, but when they gave it up, the Magpies created several chances. Newcastle continued their attack and continued to come close to evening the game at the end of the first and opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Mingolet had a top chance hit right at him in the 28th minute, Dejan Lovren was very lucky not to concede a penalty in the 38th minute, Mehdi Abeid nearly knotted it up with a blast just over the bar right before half and Mingolet smartly dove to the right and parried away a chance in the first minute of extra time before halftime.
Despite the occasional defensive lapses, Liverpool got the job done and kept the sheet clean. Simon Mingolet was not called upon often, but came up big for his club when asked to. The back four were not stellar by any means, but played well enough given the opponent to do their job. It is a system that will not work against every opponent, but that almost makes the performance a bit better when you aren't used to something and it works anyway.
Attacking, Liverpool have not looked much better throughout the season. There have been better flashes of brilliance, but as a whole, this game showed much promise. Sterling shook off the media hype and the backlash of the fans and scored. Joe Allen, of all people, gave Liverpool a cushion when he booted home a volley after missing the initial header. Jordan Henderson looked revived and bombed up the field off the ball like a true attacker. Coutinho, though kept off the scoresheet, was excellent on the ball. He made good decisions and continues his growth as a player. The way he keeps the ball on a string is, at times, mind boggling. Sterling and Coutinho dribble into trouble sometimes, but if they can continue to grow as players and make good mental decisions, those moments are more forgivable.
The big question now for Liverpool is what to do about the lineup. The FA Cup semifinal looms on the weekend and results must be continued to keep any chance at the top four alive. Given those important fixtures, do you tinker? Despite his skill and problems created for defenders, the team has often played better when not relying on Daniel Sturridge to score. Despite his legend status and calmness on the ball, Steven Gerrard has been inconsistent in his time on the pitch. Conversely, despite their recent good run of form, do you trust Lucas and Allen to not revert to early season form? Do you trust an attacking trio bereft of a true striker?
These are questions that only Brendan Rodgers can truly answer. Once he makes those choices, it is down to the players to perform. There were many, yours truly included, that questioned the starting XI for the Newcastle match. Players are the ones that ultimately decide whether managers choices will pay off or not. In the end, no fan can say they don't want Gerrard or Sturridge on the team sheet. It merely remains to be seen what contributions they have left to make and whether those contributions are made in 90 minutes or less.
Plenty remains this season for Liverpool. Silverware can be obtained. Manchester City continues to leave the door unlocked and the window cracked on top four possibilities. It is not what fans envisioned after last season's glorious run and heartbreaking end. However, when the club is at least in a position to look to themselves and still have good things happen then the season is still on a spot to be looked upon positively. Now it falls on the players to end it right.
Random Thoughts:
- Say what you will about the contract situation and who is to blame, Raheem Sterling is still a great talent. He is not the finished product yet though. A player worthy of the salary he is reportedly demanding would finish off the left footed chance in the 57th minute. Yes, the 6'4 Krul is a daunting physical presence, but Sterling needs to finish that. It could have haunted his team. Instead it did not and the young player can focus more on the training ground to get a better weak foot.
- Coutinho continues to amaze. As much as he frustrated and lacked skill last season, he has grown by leaps and bounds this season. As mentioned, he dribbles into trouble a tad too often but his touch in tight spaces is, at the moment, top ten in the world worthy.
- As a member of the Keeper's Union, I would be misguided not to bring up Simon Mingolet with praise. I honestly wondered if he would be able to recover mentally after being replaced by Brad Jones earlier this year. We will never know if he would have been reinstated if Jones did not get injured, but instead of wilting Mingolet came back with vengence. He is still not the perfect keeper and probably not in the top 10 in the world, but he has been a huge reason the club has performed so well - results against Arsenal and United not withstanding.
- I've been particularly pleased with the growth of Jordan Henderson. After a very slow start to the year, he has performed very admirably in the absence of Steven Gerrard and even when in the team with him. Henderson has been moved around from attacking midfield to defensive midfield to a wide position and done all reasonably well (some better than others obviously). The thing that I like about him is he is simply doing the best he can. He will never be another Gerrard and fans should not judge him in those shoes. But his decision making has improved as has his skill level this season. He cannot be judged based off others achievements, but whether he is the future captain or not, he has shown that he can be a valuable asset to this club.
Walk On.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Liverpool Gunned Down by Arsenal
The international break was not very kind to Liverpool Football Club. Following an incredibly disappointing performance against Manchester United, that saw the Reds fall 2-1, many had hoped that a little breather would be beneficial. It was not.
Arsenal came out and dominated the match right from the get go. If not for two great saves from Simon Mingolet, Liverpool would have been down 2-0 in the first 10 minutes of the match. Instead, the Belgian keeper bailed out his club and they settled into the match - for the midsection of the first half anyway. Unfortunately for Liverpool, if the first half was a sandwich, the middle would have been a sweet tasty jam, but the bread was riddled with mold.
Liverpool were dominated in the first ten minutes, settled in and created chances in the middle of the first half and then fell to pieces in the last ten minutes. In a span of eight minutes, Hector Bellarin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all bulged the net and Liverpool were finished. Even more interesting was how quickly things turned.
The Reds were actually on the charge just prior to Bellarin's goal. They had pressed their way into the attacking third, were stringing together passes and actually looked threatening. Liverpool, by all rights, should have taken the lead in the match when Lazar Markovic elected not to take a shot and passed it off to Raheem Sterling. The pass was too far for Sterling to get a foot on and as went the chance, so went Liverpool's offense for the rest of the game.
Liverpool did manage to score a goal from a Jordan Henderson penalty kick in the 76th minute, but really that came down to a lack of urgency from Arsenal. Being up 3-0, the Gunners took their foot off the gas pedal and got sloppy. They stood back and absorbed a little bit of pressure and Bellarin tackled Sterling, leading to the penalty. Arsenal would get another goal in stoppage time against a 10 man Liverpool squad when Olivier Giroud made the Reds' defense look silly and banged home the Gunners' fourth.
The bottom line is, Liverpool never had a chance and that's a scary thought. The Reds were the in-form team for the better part of four months, but when they are off they struggle to look like a team that is better than mid-table. For two games there has been a lack of form, a lack of defending, a lack of mental fortitude and worst of all, a lack of fire. As fans and observers, it seems unthinkable to be unable to get up to face your biggest rivals with so much on the line. Two games in a row that would have put them in the top four for sure had they won. Instead those two games may end up being their downfall.
Liverpool now find themselves in a position of trying to hold onto fifth place, standing only one point ahead of Southampton and Tottenham. They are not eliminated from a top four finish, but they have taken it out of their own hands. With only seven games remaining in the Premier League season, Liverpool are now seven points behind fourth place. The Reds have plenty of winnable games, outside of a match with Chelsea in early May, but manager Brendan Rodgers will have to work his magic touch and figure out a lot of what ails his club.
Liverpool find themselves in a situation that even the great Bill Shankly could not guide them out of. Not only have they played poorly the last two matches, but hair pullingly bad decisions have put their future in question. Steven Gerrard, Martin Skrtel and now Emre Can have all taken themselves out of competition with poor choices.
Brendan Rodgers was forced to play a defensive midfield comprising Joe Allen and Lucas that was ineffective at best and incredibly inept at worst. The back three, a lineup of Can, Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho looked immensely uncomfortable on the ball and often put their own goalkeeper in tenuous situations. Now, with Can out, Rodgers must continue to tinker with a lineup that has increasingly few good options.
Liverpool must find a way to overcome this adversity. Whether there are problems in the locker room or if this is just one of the valleys for a team that has had plenty of peaks and valleys, the Reds have to figure out a way to come together. They simply cannot regress the way they have. Much like the beginning of the season, the midfield is non-existent. There is a void between the defense and the attack. Much of that is due to players being out of position or getting playing time following long layoffs, but there just cannot be excuses at this point of the season.
Markovic did little to affect the game other than the missed chance. Joe Allen and Lucas were not working together and Lucas was awful on the ball to begin the game. Toure and Sakho looked like high school freshmen, the way they passed and looked shaky. Jordan Henderson played very hard, like a captain should, but was listed as part of the top three to begin the game and after about three minutes, was playing behind Markovic. Sterling was back in a striking role after spending a couple weeks as a wingback, which is puzzling in and of itself.
Liverpool must regroup and quickly. They have an FA Cup tie, on the road, on Wednesday. On paper, it could be the perfect opportunity to turn things back around. In reality, it has just as much a chance to dash all preseason goals. Liverpool will be without three key players for the FA Cup match and next Monday's league game. The Reds still have much to play for, but they are not making it easy, for their fans or themselves.
Random Thoughts:
- Is Europa League even worth it? Arguments can be made that any extra competition would be beneficial to teach a young team how to prepare for extra matches. However, Liverpool's run a year ago and Manchester United's charge back this year would argue that not having the distraction of European matches and getting extra training time may be more beneficial. By no means would any right thinking person want Liverpool to tank, but if the team cannot finish top four then finishing behind Southampton or Tottenham may not be so bad.
- Raheem Sterling better get things figured out quickly. I fully understand wanting to maximize your earning potential, but the games against United and certainly Arsenal prove that he is not to a caliber that deserves 150,000 a week. Sterling is only a promising prospect. He has great skills and speed in spades, but his shot is poor and weak and he dribbles into defenders too often. He needs to sign the deal in the offseason, continue to grow as a player and person and then the bigger contracts will line themselves up.
- Brendan Rodgers needs to be more proactive. He can be a top manager, when he is on his game and things are working well. However, he tends to react a bit too slowly. He hesitated to switch from a back four formation early in the year and the team labored. Now he stuck too long with his 3-4-3 and given the troops available, was made to pay the price due to its ineffectiveness. It will be interesting to see, not only who lines up but how they line up against Blackburn.
A Happy Easter to you all. And as a shameless plug, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQi3KGDK7lDPU0AyvCbBOfA. I discuss the hot sports topics, with a Midwestern slant during the week.
Walk On.
Arsenal came out and dominated the match right from the get go. If not for two great saves from Simon Mingolet, Liverpool would have been down 2-0 in the first 10 minutes of the match. Instead, the Belgian keeper bailed out his club and they settled into the match - for the midsection of the first half anyway. Unfortunately for Liverpool, if the first half was a sandwich, the middle would have been a sweet tasty jam, but the bread was riddled with mold.
Liverpool were dominated in the first ten minutes, settled in and created chances in the middle of the first half and then fell to pieces in the last ten minutes. In a span of eight minutes, Hector Bellarin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all bulged the net and Liverpool were finished. Even more interesting was how quickly things turned.
The Reds were actually on the charge just prior to Bellarin's goal. They had pressed their way into the attacking third, were stringing together passes and actually looked threatening. Liverpool, by all rights, should have taken the lead in the match when Lazar Markovic elected not to take a shot and passed it off to Raheem Sterling. The pass was too far for Sterling to get a foot on and as went the chance, so went Liverpool's offense for the rest of the game.
Liverpool did manage to score a goal from a Jordan Henderson penalty kick in the 76th minute, but really that came down to a lack of urgency from Arsenal. Being up 3-0, the Gunners took their foot off the gas pedal and got sloppy. They stood back and absorbed a little bit of pressure and Bellarin tackled Sterling, leading to the penalty. Arsenal would get another goal in stoppage time against a 10 man Liverpool squad when Olivier Giroud made the Reds' defense look silly and banged home the Gunners' fourth.
The bottom line is, Liverpool never had a chance and that's a scary thought. The Reds were the in-form team for the better part of four months, but when they are off they struggle to look like a team that is better than mid-table. For two games there has been a lack of form, a lack of defending, a lack of mental fortitude and worst of all, a lack of fire. As fans and observers, it seems unthinkable to be unable to get up to face your biggest rivals with so much on the line. Two games in a row that would have put them in the top four for sure had they won. Instead those two games may end up being their downfall.
Liverpool now find themselves in a position of trying to hold onto fifth place, standing only one point ahead of Southampton and Tottenham. They are not eliminated from a top four finish, but they have taken it out of their own hands. With only seven games remaining in the Premier League season, Liverpool are now seven points behind fourth place. The Reds have plenty of winnable games, outside of a match with Chelsea in early May, but manager Brendan Rodgers will have to work his magic touch and figure out a lot of what ails his club.
Liverpool find themselves in a situation that even the great Bill Shankly could not guide them out of. Not only have they played poorly the last two matches, but hair pullingly bad decisions have put their future in question. Steven Gerrard, Martin Skrtel and now Emre Can have all taken themselves out of competition with poor choices.
Brendan Rodgers was forced to play a defensive midfield comprising Joe Allen and Lucas that was ineffective at best and incredibly inept at worst. The back three, a lineup of Can, Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho looked immensely uncomfortable on the ball and often put their own goalkeeper in tenuous situations. Now, with Can out, Rodgers must continue to tinker with a lineup that has increasingly few good options.
Liverpool must find a way to overcome this adversity. Whether there are problems in the locker room or if this is just one of the valleys for a team that has had plenty of peaks and valleys, the Reds have to figure out a way to come together. They simply cannot regress the way they have. Much like the beginning of the season, the midfield is non-existent. There is a void between the defense and the attack. Much of that is due to players being out of position or getting playing time following long layoffs, but there just cannot be excuses at this point of the season.
Markovic did little to affect the game other than the missed chance. Joe Allen and Lucas were not working together and Lucas was awful on the ball to begin the game. Toure and Sakho looked like high school freshmen, the way they passed and looked shaky. Jordan Henderson played very hard, like a captain should, but was listed as part of the top three to begin the game and after about three minutes, was playing behind Markovic. Sterling was back in a striking role after spending a couple weeks as a wingback, which is puzzling in and of itself.
Liverpool must regroup and quickly. They have an FA Cup tie, on the road, on Wednesday. On paper, it could be the perfect opportunity to turn things back around. In reality, it has just as much a chance to dash all preseason goals. Liverpool will be without three key players for the FA Cup match and next Monday's league game. The Reds still have much to play for, but they are not making it easy, for their fans or themselves.
Random Thoughts:
- Is Europa League even worth it? Arguments can be made that any extra competition would be beneficial to teach a young team how to prepare for extra matches. However, Liverpool's run a year ago and Manchester United's charge back this year would argue that not having the distraction of European matches and getting extra training time may be more beneficial. By no means would any right thinking person want Liverpool to tank, but if the team cannot finish top four then finishing behind Southampton or Tottenham may not be so bad.
- Raheem Sterling better get things figured out quickly. I fully understand wanting to maximize your earning potential, but the games against United and certainly Arsenal prove that he is not to a caliber that deserves 150,000 a week. Sterling is only a promising prospect. He has great skills and speed in spades, but his shot is poor and weak and he dribbles into defenders too often. He needs to sign the deal in the offseason, continue to grow as a player and person and then the bigger contracts will line themselves up.
- Brendan Rodgers needs to be more proactive. He can be a top manager, when he is on his game and things are working well. However, he tends to react a bit too slowly. He hesitated to switch from a back four formation early in the year and the team labored. Now he stuck too long with his 3-4-3 and given the troops available, was made to pay the price due to its ineffectiveness. It will be interesting to see, not only who lines up but how they line up against Blackburn.
A Happy Easter to you all. And as a shameless plug, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQi3KGDK7lDPU0AyvCbBOfA. I discuss the hot sports topics, with a Midwestern slant during the week.
Walk On.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Lesser Lineup Still Puts Liverpool In Reach Of Top Four
Liverpool put a bit of a scare into supporters when they announced their lineup for an important match up against Southampton. The Reds were coming off a tough late week Europa League match where they put out a strong lineup, so changes were understandable. However the changes still seemed a bit odd. It had been rumored that Dejan Lovren would return to the lineup the last few games, but many had assumed he would take Emre Can's place, thus pushing Can to the midfield, not join him in the back three.
Once again, however, manager Brendan Rodgers' decisions all paid off. Daniel Sturridge was not forced to start on two days rest, Raheem Sterling was placed back into the striking role that sparked the team to its resurgence having rested most of the Besiktas match, Lovren and Lazar Markovic were given significant playing time which will be important the longer Liverpool stay alive in three separate competitions and Jordan Ibe continues his growth as a potential first team player.
The match got off to a rousing start for both Southampton and Liverpool and the Reds managed to bulge the net before some of us had even sat down for breakfast. Liverpool took a 1-0 lead in the third minute on an absolute cracker from Coutinho. The Brazilian speedster managed to rip an unstoppable shot from about 30 yards away from goal and just bank it in off the crossbar and across the goal line.
Not only did Liverpool score their game winning goal within the first five minutes, but the referee had a terrible day within that time span as well. Two potential penalties, one that was not and one that probably was, were not whistled in favor of Southampton. Truth be told, it was a pretty interesting day for the officials in this match. After two no calls early in the match, it became clear that the officials were going to do their best not to interject themselves. Joe Allen escaped a pretty clear penalty and then Raheem Sterling was not awarded a penalty after being chopped down with a trailing leg by the Saints sliding defender in the box only minutes later.
Even as a former keeper, it seemed as though Simon Mingolet was guilty of a handball outside of the penalty area that would have seen the Belgian netminder sent off. None of these were called and, more often than not, the yellow cards that were handed out were softer than some of the no calls. In the end though, both sides had things called in their favor and not called in their favor and it really evened out. The match official had a bad day, but fans are often more accepting of this when the calls and no calls are equal on both sides. Of course, it is easier to say when you are on the winning side of that coin.
Regardless of the referee and his decisions, Liverpool and Southampton played a strong attacking style deserving of such importance in the table. Both teams were brave in all aspects despite tremendously bad conditions with rain coming down in buckets at times, a swirling wind and the usual cold of a winter's night in England. Both squads fought through this adversity valiantly and fortunately for fans of the Reds, Liverpool managed to have a bit more skill, a bit more guile and managed to put more goals in the net.
It seemed for the longest time that the game would either end in a 1-1 draw, with Southampton gaining a few chances late in the match or a 1-0 win for Liverpool. Then in the 73rd minute, Raheem Sterling made the Saints pay for a slip in the box. The youngster, Matt Targett, who had done a decent job defending Jordan Ibe all afternoon, slipped on his clearance attempt and the ball fell right to Sterling. Sterling did not get full force behind the ball, but it was enough off the right foot to get past the defender and slip through the diving goalkeepers hands into the back of the goal. 2-0 for Liverpool and two points away from the top four.
The Saints managed a few more chances in the dying moments of the contest, but it was all for naught as Liverpool held on. Mingolet managed his sixth clean sheet in 2015 and continues to look confident in his position even if some supporters still worry about him at times. Southampton had a few injuries, so some might say they were not able to put out their strongest lineup, however neither did Liverpool and ultimately regardless of who was on the pitch, Liverpool made the plays and got the win.
The Mario Balotelli controversy was given a rest due to him not being needed, which was another positive for the team. In terms of the player, it may have been good to see if he could continue his form. Yet, Liverpool looked dangerous enough in attack without him and once the second goal was scored, a more defensive substitution made sense (even if it was Glen Johnson). As long as none of the sensationalist media out there try to make more of it than there is by saying Balotelli was left off as punishment, then the whole situation can pass quietly into the night and Liverpool can concentrate on winning matches.
No answers have been given as to the big question that ended the last blog, but that's a great thing for Liverpool. While it would be easier to say this competition represents the team's best chance at this goal or that goal, Liverpool continue to win and that is a better "problem" to have than wondering which games have more significance and when to rest players. If the bench keeps stepping up and giving performances like they did on this day against the Saints, then Liverpool may be able to put all energies into all competitions and still have a realistic chance of attaining their goals in each.
Random Thoughts:
- Being a former referee, I often see things through their eyes and give them the benefit of the doubt. However, I'm a bit tired of officiating crews being too afraid to make big calls. Whether you're neutral, a Reds fan or Saints fan it is very hard to argue that there should not have been at least two penalties given in that match and at least one red card if not two. Very poor showing, but as I stated in the blog at least it was even for both sides.
- Daniel Sturridge is a great player and he continues to spark the rest of the team. Yet, I can't help but feeling he's holding back just a little bit due to his penchant for reinjuring himself. It was not quite as evident in this match, but I continue to see signs that he is reluctant to be kicked or tackled and will avoid those situations even if it costs him the ball. All part of returning from injury I suppose, but you just hope it does not present a problem in an important match down the line.
- I will give the devil his due, so to speak, in regards to Joe Allen. This space has been no friend to Mr. Allen in recent weeks and often for good reason. He played a solid game against Southampton, however and was an important cog in the Liverpool machine. He was positioned well defensively throughout the game and made several good passes and clearances. Hopefully he can continue that form since a return for Gerrard and Lucas seems unlikely for another few weeks.
- While Arsenal and Manchester United are still above the Reds, some small part of me takes even more satisfaction - other than just being a fan - each time Liverpool move up the table, because of ESPN FC. Nobody, outside of Stevie Nicol think they can or will finish top four. This would be fine if they would not fall back on the idea that "it is not mathematically likely." There are still 12 matches in the Premier League left, including big matches against Arsenal and Manchester United. Don't tell me it's not mathematically possible when there are six points to be had from those matches alone and Liverpool sit two points out of the top four as we speak.
Walk On
Once again, however, manager Brendan Rodgers' decisions all paid off. Daniel Sturridge was not forced to start on two days rest, Raheem Sterling was placed back into the striking role that sparked the team to its resurgence having rested most of the Besiktas match, Lovren and Lazar Markovic were given significant playing time which will be important the longer Liverpool stay alive in three separate competitions and Jordan Ibe continues his growth as a potential first team player.
The match got off to a rousing start for both Southampton and Liverpool and the Reds managed to bulge the net before some of us had even sat down for breakfast. Liverpool took a 1-0 lead in the third minute on an absolute cracker from Coutinho. The Brazilian speedster managed to rip an unstoppable shot from about 30 yards away from goal and just bank it in off the crossbar and across the goal line.
Not only did Liverpool score their game winning goal within the first five minutes, but the referee had a terrible day within that time span as well. Two potential penalties, one that was not and one that probably was, were not whistled in favor of Southampton. Truth be told, it was a pretty interesting day for the officials in this match. After two no calls early in the match, it became clear that the officials were going to do their best not to interject themselves. Joe Allen escaped a pretty clear penalty and then Raheem Sterling was not awarded a penalty after being chopped down with a trailing leg by the Saints sliding defender in the box only minutes later.
Even as a former keeper, it seemed as though Simon Mingolet was guilty of a handball outside of the penalty area that would have seen the Belgian netminder sent off. None of these were called and, more often than not, the yellow cards that were handed out were softer than some of the no calls. In the end though, both sides had things called in their favor and not called in their favor and it really evened out. The match official had a bad day, but fans are often more accepting of this when the calls and no calls are equal on both sides. Of course, it is easier to say when you are on the winning side of that coin.
Regardless of the referee and his decisions, Liverpool and Southampton played a strong attacking style deserving of such importance in the table. Both teams were brave in all aspects despite tremendously bad conditions with rain coming down in buckets at times, a swirling wind and the usual cold of a winter's night in England. Both squads fought through this adversity valiantly and fortunately for fans of the Reds, Liverpool managed to have a bit more skill, a bit more guile and managed to put more goals in the net.
It seemed for the longest time that the game would either end in a 1-1 draw, with Southampton gaining a few chances late in the match or a 1-0 win for Liverpool. Then in the 73rd minute, Raheem Sterling made the Saints pay for a slip in the box. The youngster, Matt Targett, who had done a decent job defending Jordan Ibe all afternoon, slipped on his clearance attempt and the ball fell right to Sterling. Sterling did not get full force behind the ball, but it was enough off the right foot to get past the defender and slip through the diving goalkeepers hands into the back of the goal. 2-0 for Liverpool and two points away from the top four.
The Saints managed a few more chances in the dying moments of the contest, but it was all for naught as Liverpool held on. Mingolet managed his sixth clean sheet in 2015 and continues to look confident in his position even if some supporters still worry about him at times. Southampton had a few injuries, so some might say they were not able to put out their strongest lineup, however neither did Liverpool and ultimately regardless of who was on the pitch, Liverpool made the plays and got the win.
The Mario Balotelli controversy was given a rest due to him not being needed, which was another positive for the team. In terms of the player, it may have been good to see if he could continue his form. Yet, Liverpool looked dangerous enough in attack without him and once the second goal was scored, a more defensive substitution made sense (even if it was Glen Johnson). As long as none of the sensationalist media out there try to make more of it than there is by saying Balotelli was left off as punishment, then the whole situation can pass quietly into the night and Liverpool can concentrate on winning matches.
No answers have been given as to the big question that ended the last blog, but that's a great thing for Liverpool. While it would be easier to say this competition represents the team's best chance at this goal or that goal, Liverpool continue to win and that is a better "problem" to have than wondering which games have more significance and when to rest players. If the bench keeps stepping up and giving performances like they did on this day against the Saints, then Liverpool may be able to put all energies into all competitions and still have a realistic chance of attaining their goals in each.
Random Thoughts:
- Being a former referee, I often see things through their eyes and give them the benefit of the doubt. However, I'm a bit tired of officiating crews being too afraid to make big calls. Whether you're neutral, a Reds fan or Saints fan it is very hard to argue that there should not have been at least two penalties given in that match and at least one red card if not two. Very poor showing, but as I stated in the blog at least it was even for both sides.
- Daniel Sturridge is a great player and he continues to spark the rest of the team. Yet, I can't help but feeling he's holding back just a little bit due to his penchant for reinjuring himself. It was not quite as evident in this match, but I continue to see signs that he is reluctant to be kicked or tackled and will avoid those situations even if it costs him the ball. All part of returning from injury I suppose, but you just hope it does not present a problem in an important match down the line.
- I will give the devil his due, so to speak, in regards to Joe Allen. This space has been no friend to Mr. Allen in recent weeks and often for good reason. He played a solid game against Southampton, however and was an important cog in the Liverpool machine. He was positioned well defensively throughout the game and made several good passes and clearances. Hopefully he can continue that form since a return for Gerrard and Lucas seems unlikely for another few weeks.
- While Arsenal and Manchester United are still above the Reds, some small part of me takes even more satisfaction - other than just being a fan - each time Liverpool move up the table, because of ESPN FC. Nobody, outside of Stevie Nicol think they can or will finish top four. This would be fine if they would not fall back on the idea that "it is not mathematically likely." There are still 12 matches in the Premier League left, including big matches against Arsenal and Manchester United. Don't tell me it's not mathematically possible when there are six points to be had from those matches alone and Liverpool sit two points out of the top four as we speak.
Walk On
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Bolton Replay May Have Cost Liverpool Merseyside Derby
One of the worries brought up over the course of the past few weeks was how playing an extra match - one that could have been prevented - would affect the team. Given the result of the replay, it seemed worth it to keep Liverpool in the FA Cup tournament. It was a spectacular win, one covered in my previous blog post. It was one that should have given this club loads of confidence heading into their next match - the all important Merseyside Derby.
However, it seemed to have the opposite affect. Liverpool looked tired and listless. Several players had solid performances, but several had less than stellar matches and even bordered on being awful. Steven Gerrard was one of those players. His game was by no means actually awful, but compared to what we have come to expect from the Liverpool captain, it was by no means a typical Gerrard match. He looked slow and a bit off. Gerrard's touch was nowhere near where one would hope it would be, given the fact this match could have been his last Merseyside Derby. His passes were off the mark from the very beginning.
In a play that garnered a chuckle from the NBC broadcast crew, Gerrard sprayed one out wide toward winger Jordan Ibe, when Ibe had already clearly made a run up the pitch. Similar passes were made later in the match as well. By no means is this a statement against Gerrard as a player. It could simply be time catching up or it could be a lack of form given his relative lack of playing time over recent weeks. Or, the most likely answer in reality, is it was just a poor performance and should be written off as such. Unfortunately, we have come to expect great things from Gerrard so often that anything less comes off as much worse than it was in reality.
The Liverpool skipper was by far, not the only player who had a less than stellar match. When you look at the overall performances of the team as a whole, Raheem Sterling, Emre Can and Martin Skrtel were the only players that had good performances. Lucas' departure so early in the match may have been a cause, perhaps throwing the team into a disarray. Joe Allen came on in his stead, and while he did not do anything wrong, he did what Joe Allen tends to do - nothing.
Allen gives his all out there during the match, usually doing a decent job of closing down or trying to plug up space. But given his normal position of a defensive, holding midfielder he just rarely cuts it. He is too small to be effective as a fourth or fifth defender, often getting muscled off the ball especially against Everton on this night. He gives the ball away too often in areas that may not lead to direct counter attacks, but still put his defensive teammates in a poor spot.
Even Daniel Sturridge had a poor showing. Sturridge did nothing wrong, really, but outside of a few nice moments he really disappeared in the late stages of the second half. This is not necessarily a reflection on him. He was not being set up in very opportune spots and often tried to get things going in a positive manner only to run into defenders. The team gained a brief spark when Sturridge first entered the game, but offensively you could tell they were looking to him too much after that instead of taking the game by the scruff.
The defense also returned to their shaky play. They did not fail to mark their counterparts or allow players in behind them. However, their footwork was questionable at best. Emre Can, save for his overconfident play late in the match against Lukaku, was very good. Martin Skrtel was ok. However, Sakho more than made up for both of them and that's not a good thing. Sakho marks his men very well and is a solid defensive back, but there are recreational league players who show better foot skills than Liverpool's left back.
Ultimately, I could go on for paragraph after paragraph singling out players and moments in the match. The bottom line is that this was a very disappointing match. It wasn't an end of the world result. Liverpool gained a point and are still alive. However, it was a match that was winnable and given circumstances in the table it would have been much more valuable to gain the three points as opposed to just one. No one can argue that a draw is not better than a loss, but the listlessness of the match just put a negative spin on this.
The Bolton replay may be to blame. While in the grand scheme of things, it is a positive thing for the club to remain in the FA Cup, it could be partially to blame for this type of result. Despite being a lower level club, Bolton really took it to the Reds in their midweek clash. Despite having their lone goal come on a questionable penalty, Bolton took the game to Liverpool and the Reds had to expend quite a bit of energy to score their own two goals. From the beginning of the Merseyside Derby, you could see that Liverpool just didn't have that jump and energy that you would normally see in such a rivalry match. The extra game is surely to blame, at least in part, for that.
It is not just Liverpool to blame for this result. Everton came out with a game plan and executed it reasonably well. The disappointing thing was just the way the match played out. It was boring, it was uneventful, it lacked pace and punch except for Jordan Ibe's blast on the Liverpool side and a great save by Simon Mingolet at the end of the match after a smart shot by Sheamus Coleman.
Liverpool just did not come out with the energy one would have hoped. Even though the club has struggled to finish goals in games past, if Liverpool came out and played with the form they have shown over the past few weeks there is no doubt they would have won. Everton lack much of the skill that the Reds have and if both are at their best, Liverpool should have gotten a win. Instead, Everton played ok and Liverpool made many mistakes and a 0-0 draw is what is the result.
Again, this result is not the end of the world. A point is a point and every point is valuable at this point in the season. It is just disappointing that so many players were either affected by the extra game during the week or lacked the mental fortitude to summon the energy for a derby. It is disappointing to watch two teams that need wins going forward to put so little into the match as a whole. It was disappointing to have the legend of Steven Gerrard end so unremarkably in regards to the Merseyside Derby. Both teams will go on their respective paths for the rest of the season, but this was just a disappointing match to watch.
Random thoughts:
- Perhaps it is just me, since I do not live in the cauldron of Liverpool and do not have to deal with the rivals literally living on my doorstep. However, Everton seem like those rivals that you hate and want to destroy in the derby but are ok with them doing well other than that. As long as Liverpool finish at least one place above them, Everton can finish as high as they want sort of deal. Maybe I'm wrong.
- In addition to the faults I found with the players, I wasn't completely on board with the substitutes. Ibe starting is fine due to his speed and youthful exuberance. I was a bit shocked to see Coutinho come off, even though he has played a lot of games lately. Joe Allen coming on makes sense from a positional sense but I would not have seen a problem using Markovic to replace Lucas and moving Gerrard back. Lambert is basically in the same boat with Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli. He just doesn't do much.
- Liverpool had lots of shots and though credited with 6 on target, it was disappointing to not take advantage of Tim Howard not being in net. Being American, I am biased, but Howard is still one of the best Premier League keepers and not winning when he is not in the match makes it a bit more disappointing.
- I did not understand why Reds and Blues could not sit together. Everything I have heard in the past is that fan bases have intermingled during the Merseyside Derbies. I did not get the reasoning to not allow this just because the match was held at night.
Walk On
However, it seemed to have the opposite affect. Liverpool looked tired and listless. Several players had solid performances, but several had less than stellar matches and even bordered on being awful. Steven Gerrard was one of those players. His game was by no means actually awful, but compared to what we have come to expect from the Liverpool captain, it was by no means a typical Gerrard match. He looked slow and a bit off. Gerrard's touch was nowhere near where one would hope it would be, given the fact this match could have been his last Merseyside Derby. His passes were off the mark from the very beginning.
In a play that garnered a chuckle from the NBC broadcast crew, Gerrard sprayed one out wide toward winger Jordan Ibe, when Ibe had already clearly made a run up the pitch. Similar passes were made later in the match as well. By no means is this a statement against Gerrard as a player. It could simply be time catching up or it could be a lack of form given his relative lack of playing time over recent weeks. Or, the most likely answer in reality, is it was just a poor performance and should be written off as such. Unfortunately, we have come to expect great things from Gerrard so often that anything less comes off as much worse than it was in reality.
The Liverpool skipper was by far, not the only player who had a less than stellar match. When you look at the overall performances of the team as a whole, Raheem Sterling, Emre Can and Martin Skrtel were the only players that had good performances. Lucas' departure so early in the match may have been a cause, perhaps throwing the team into a disarray. Joe Allen came on in his stead, and while he did not do anything wrong, he did what Joe Allen tends to do - nothing.
Allen gives his all out there during the match, usually doing a decent job of closing down or trying to plug up space. But given his normal position of a defensive, holding midfielder he just rarely cuts it. He is too small to be effective as a fourth or fifth defender, often getting muscled off the ball especially against Everton on this night. He gives the ball away too often in areas that may not lead to direct counter attacks, but still put his defensive teammates in a poor spot.
Even Daniel Sturridge had a poor showing. Sturridge did nothing wrong, really, but outside of a few nice moments he really disappeared in the late stages of the second half. This is not necessarily a reflection on him. He was not being set up in very opportune spots and often tried to get things going in a positive manner only to run into defenders. The team gained a brief spark when Sturridge first entered the game, but offensively you could tell they were looking to him too much after that instead of taking the game by the scruff.
The defense also returned to their shaky play. They did not fail to mark their counterparts or allow players in behind them. However, their footwork was questionable at best. Emre Can, save for his overconfident play late in the match against Lukaku, was very good. Martin Skrtel was ok. However, Sakho more than made up for both of them and that's not a good thing. Sakho marks his men very well and is a solid defensive back, but there are recreational league players who show better foot skills than Liverpool's left back.
Ultimately, I could go on for paragraph after paragraph singling out players and moments in the match. The bottom line is that this was a very disappointing match. It wasn't an end of the world result. Liverpool gained a point and are still alive. However, it was a match that was winnable and given circumstances in the table it would have been much more valuable to gain the three points as opposed to just one. No one can argue that a draw is not better than a loss, but the listlessness of the match just put a negative spin on this.
The Bolton replay may be to blame. While in the grand scheme of things, it is a positive thing for the club to remain in the FA Cup, it could be partially to blame for this type of result. Despite being a lower level club, Bolton really took it to the Reds in their midweek clash. Despite having their lone goal come on a questionable penalty, Bolton took the game to Liverpool and the Reds had to expend quite a bit of energy to score their own two goals. From the beginning of the Merseyside Derby, you could see that Liverpool just didn't have that jump and energy that you would normally see in such a rivalry match. The extra game is surely to blame, at least in part, for that.
It is not just Liverpool to blame for this result. Everton came out with a game plan and executed it reasonably well. The disappointing thing was just the way the match played out. It was boring, it was uneventful, it lacked pace and punch except for Jordan Ibe's blast on the Liverpool side and a great save by Simon Mingolet at the end of the match after a smart shot by Sheamus Coleman.
Liverpool just did not come out with the energy one would have hoped. Even though the club has struggled to finish goals in games past, if Liverpool came out and played with the form they have shown over the past few weeks there is no doubt they would have won. Everton lack much of the skill that the Reds have and if both are at their best, Liverpool should have gotten a win. Instead, Everton played ok and Liverpool made many mistakes and a 0-0 draw is what is the result.
Again, this result is not the end of the world. A point is a point and every point is valuable at this point in the season. It is just disappointing that so many players were either affected by the extra game during the week or lacked the mental fortitude to summon the energy for a derby. It is disappointing to watch two teams that need wins going forward to put so little into the match as a whole. It was disappointing to have the legend of Steven Gerrard end so unremarkably in regards to the Merseyside Derby. Both teams will go on their respective paths for the rest of the season, but this was just a disappointing match to watch.
Random thoughts:
- Perhaps it is just me, since I do not live in the cauldron of Liverpool and do not have to deal with the rivals literally living on my doorstep. However, Everton seem like those rivals that you hate and want to destroy in the derby but are ok with them doing well other than that. As long as Liverpool finish at least one place above them, Everton can finish as high as they want sort of deal. Maybe I'm wrong.
- In addition to the faults I found with the players, I wasn't completely on board with the substitutes. Ibe starting is fine due to his speed and youthful exuberance. I was a bit shocked to see Coutinho come off, even though he has played a lot of games lately. Joe Allen coming on makes sense from a positional sense but I would not have seen a problem using Markovic to replace Lucas and moving Gerrard back. Lambert is basically in the same boat with Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli. He just doesn't do much.
- Liverpool had lots of shots and though credited with 6 on target, it was disappointing to not take advantage of Tim Howard not being in net. Being American, I am biased, but Howard is still one of the best Premier League keepers and not winning when he is not in the match makes it a bit more disappointing.
- I did not understand why Reds and Blues could not sit together. Everything I have heard in the past is that fan bases have intermingled during the Merseyside Derbies. I did not get the reasoning to not allow this just because the match was held at night.
Walk On
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Liverpool Returns to League Action With Solid Win
The Reds returned to league action after what seemed like an eternity of cup matches in recent memory. They did so in fine fashion as well taking down West Ham United by a final of 2-0. Liverpool could, and perhaps should, have had more goals as well. In typical Liverpool fashion for this year, there were mistakes made along the way that keep their performances from being very good or great. However, there cannot be too many complaints following a victory against a side that was a point up in the table before the match began.
Since columns are usually written by whiney, frustrated people I may as well join their ranks for a few paragraphs and begin with the things I saw wrong with this match. Firstly, though a very talented player, Lazar Markovic returned to his shaky form from earlier this season. Markovic has speed up and down the field and hustles non-stop. It is his touch that falters him in important moments though.
In the seventh minute, Markovic failed to convert what should have been an early goal. It was not a gimme shot, but still for one as talented as he and one with the aspirations of being an Anfield legend, you have to put those away. Markovic also blasted one wide of the post just before the halftime break, which would have also put his team up by a goal again. He was clearly disappointed in himself, but the shot was not overly rushed and though there were some players in front it has to be put in the net.
Markovic was by no means the only player to falter in their attacking. Alberto Moreno was set up with a very nice cross by Raheem Sterling in the 47th minute. Moreno was unmarked and managed only to flail his left leg at the ball and connect just enough to at least keep the ball in play. Moreno is more of an attacking defender, in the mold of Roberto Carlos, but it was still a golden opportunity that needs to be better handled. Jordan Henderson also continued to prove that there is a pretty big drop off from Steven Gerrard to himself.
Henderson should not aspire to be Stevie G. It is an effort in futility. Henderson just isn't the quality of Gerrard and probably never will be. That does not mean that he is not or cannot be a top player at the club. Henderson gives his best on the pitch almost every game. He just lacks that final ball or touch that Gerrard brings to the captaincy. There were two free kicks that pop to mind, including the 70th minute, where Hendo blasted it right into the wall. He is not beyond learning to get better touch on those, but for right now Liverpool will have to find someone with better quality to replace Gerrard on free kicks come next season.
Before you begin to wonder where all this negativity comes from and think perhaps you were dreaming and the scoreline was reversed, fear not. Liverpool was indeed victorious and there were many good things to come from the match. Liverpool kept a clean sheet for the fourth match in a row. The defense, while still questionable and still giving fans that queezy feeling, played a very solid match. West Ham did not have a shot on target until the 32nd minute. With the exception of set pieces, the Hammers really created nothing from the flow of play. The one nit-picky item of mention regarding the back three was their inability to make quick passes out. Too often in the first half, they were forced to retreat in possession. This may well be due to a lack of off the ball movement, but the bottom line was West Ham continually pressured the ball and Liverpool were forced backward more than one would like.
The offense was very good. As previously mentioned, they did not finish as many chances as they should have. In addition to the misses by Henderson and Markovic, Jordan Ibe and Daniel Sturridge did not capitalize on chances in the 78th and 83rd minutes. Overall, however, they were good on the passes. Most balls were within a range that, even if they failed to do so, they had an opportunity to obtain and push into space. Sterling continued to show his growth as a star and his connection with Coutinho as they connected on Liverpool's first goal.
Liverpool were a bit fortunate with the deflection, but the chip pass from Coutinho to Sterling was cheekily created and deftly handled. Sterling then showed good composure - something that has at times lacked in his game this season - and slotted it past the goalkeeper. While he still occasionally tries to over-perform, Sterling continues to show that when he is within himself and composed that he could be an all-world caliber player. It may still be a likelihood to happen, Liverpool need to get pen to paper on a new deal for young Raheem.
One would be remiss to not mention the return of Daniel Sturridge as one of the biggest positives. Sturridge lacked his usual first touch, no doubt caused by not playing a game since August. He looked clearly rusty and a bit over-eager to run around. However, both he and the team looked very good when together on the pitch for the first time in almost five months. Liverpool looked very similar to their attack of last season with a formation of Sturridge, Sterling and Coutinho all rotating around. If Sturrige had not scored, his return would still have been a good omen of things to come with the ease the attacking line slipped into with his inclusion.
Sturridge was not about to let a chance to put his own little chapter in the Anfield annals though. 15 had a couple of good chances, as mentioned, in the 78th minute. Then, only two minutes later, Sturridge would bury one in the 80th minute to put his team up by two. Not only was the shot powerful and accurate, but with his weak foot. That is definitely an encouraging sign due to the fact that even when the SAS connection was flying last season, Sturridge's weak foot was often a weakness that he was uncomfortable using. On this evening, Sturridge struck the ball with supreme confidence and coupled with the sharp angle, made the goal all the more impressive.
Liverpool may still have questions within the squad. They may still not have quite enough to regularly challenge the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, but they continue to move in positive ways. The moves made in the lineup are beneficial more than hindrances, as they were earlier. Lallana fit in well in his more central role and despite his falterings on this night, Markovic has proven that he is more than capable of playing a wing attacker or a more defensive winger position as well. That does nothing but help the depth of this club as they continue forward with Europa competitions and the FA Cup. Mistakes are made by just about any club. The important thing, for now, is the belief has returned. Walk on.
Random Thoughs:
- Liverpool need to take advantage of their fixture list in the league coming up. With the exception of the City match on March 1, all of February and March feature winnable games. If Liverpool can continue their current form, they could easily find themselves contending for a top four spot in April and May.
- Being a keeper, it pains me a bit to mention, but the manner in which keepers get so butt-hurt with the smallest of touches is aggravating. Adrian, West Ham's goalkeeper, was brushed along the ribs by Coutinho - who was trying to avoid contact. By his reaction, you would think Adrian had been shanked in the lunch line at the state penitentiary. Really? Goalkeepers are not accustomed to being hit, but these sorts of overreactions are not beneficial to the game.
- Speaking of overacting, I'm tired of players putting their teammates in peril because they want to lay on the deck in hopes of earning their opponent a yellow card. Markovic went down in the box after being grazed along the face and stayed down for a good 30 seconds. He is by no means the only player to do such things, but sooner or later those sorts of actions will be punished by an attack taking advantage of one fewer player involving themselves in the play.
Since columns are usually written by whiney, frustrated people I may as well join their ranks for a few paragraphs and begin with the things I saw wrong with this match. Firstly, though a very talented player, Lazar Markovic returned to his shaky form from earlier this season. Markovic has speed up and down the field and hustles non-stop. It is his touch that falters him in important moments though.
In the seventh minute, Markovic failed to convert what should have been an early goal. It was not a gimme shot, but still for one as talented as he and one with the aspirations of being an Anfield legend, you have to put those away. Markovic also blasted one wide of the post just before the halftime break, which would have also put his team up by a goal again. He was clearly disappointed in himself, but the shot was not overly rushed and though there were some players in front it has to be put in the net.
Markovic was by no means the only player to falter in their attacking. Alberto Moreno was set up with a very nice cross by Raheem Sterling in the 47th minute. Moreno was unmarked and managed only to flail his left leg at the ball and connect just enough to at least keep the ball in play. Moreno is more of an attacking defender, in the mold of Roberto Carlos, but it was still a golden opportunity that needs to be better handled. Jordan Henderson also continued to prove that there is a pretty big drop off from Steven Gerrard to himself.
Henderson should not aspire to be Stevie G. It is an effort in futility. Henderson just isn't the quality of Gerrard and probably never will be. That does not mean that he is not or cannot be a top player at the club. Henderson gives his best on the pitch almost every game. He just lacks that final ball or touch that Gerrard brings to the captaincy. There were two free kicks that pop to mind, including the 70th minute, where Hendo blasted it right into the wall. He is not beyond learning to get better touch on those, but for right now Liverpool will have to find someone with better quality to replace Gerrard on free kicks come next season.
Before you begin to wonder where all this negativity comes from and think perhaps you were dreaming and the scoreline was reversed, fear not. Liverpool was indeed victorious and there were many good things to come from the match. Liverpool kept a clean sheet for the fourth match in a row. The defense, while still questionable and still giving fans that queezy feeling, played a very solid match. West Ham did not have a shot on target until the 32nd minute. With the exception of set pieces, the Hammers really created nothing from the flow of play. The one nit-picky item of mention regarding the back three was their inability to make quick passes out. Too often in the first half, they were forced to retreat in possession. This may well be due to a lack of off the ball movement, but the bottom line was West Ham continually pressured the ball and Liverpool were forced backward more than one would like.
The offense was very good. As previously mentioned, they did not finish as many chances as they should have. In addition to the misses by Henderson and Markovic, Jordan Ibe and Daniel Sturridge did not capitalize on chances in the 78th and 83rd minutes. Overall, however, they were good on the passes. Most balls were within a range that, even if they failed to do so, they had an opportunity to obtain and push into space. Sterling continued to show his growth as a star and his connection with Coutinho as they connected on Liverpool's first goal.
Liverpool were a bit fortunate with the deflection, but the chip pass from Coutinho to Sterling was cheekily created and deftly handled. Sterling then showed good composure - something that has at times lacked in his game this season - and slotted it past the goalkeeper. While he still occasionally tries to over-perform, Sterling continues to show that when he is within himself and composed that he could be an all-world caliber player. It may still be a likelihood to happen, Liverpool need to get pen to paper on a new deal for young Raheem.
One would be remiss to not mention the return of Daniel Sturridge as one of the biggest positives. Sturridge lacked his usual first touch, no doubt caused by not playing a game since August. He looked clearly rusty and a bit over-eager to run around. However, both he and the team looked very good when together on the pitch for the first time in almost five months. Liverpool looked very similar to their attack of last season with a formation of Sturridge, Sterling and Coutinho all rotating around. If Sturrige had not scored, his return would still have been a good omen of things to come with the ease the attacking line slipped into with his inclusion.
Sturridge was not about to let a chance to put his own little chapter in the Anfield annals though. 15 had a couple of good chances, as mentioned, in the 78th minute. Then, only two minutes later, Sturridge would bury one in the 80th minute to put his team up by two. Not only was the shot powerful and accurate, but with his weak foot. That is definitely an encouraging sign due to the fact that even when the SAS connection was flying last season, Sturridge's weak foot was often a weakness that he was uncomfortable using. On this evening, Sturridge struck the ball with supreme confidence and coupled with the sharp angle, made the goal all the more impressive.
Liverpool may still have questions within the squad. They may still not have quite enough to regularly challenge the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, but they continue to move in positive ways. The moves made in the lineup are beneficial more than hindrances, as they were earlier. Lallana fit in well in his more central role and despite his falterings on this night, Markovic has proven that he is more than capable of playing a wing attacker or a more defensive winger position as well. That does nothing but help the depth of this club as they continue forward with Europa competitions and the FA Cup. Mistakes are made by just about any club. The important thing, for now, is the belief has returned. Walk on.
Random Thoughs:
- Liverpool need to take advantage of their fixture list in the league coming up. With the exception of the City match on March 1, all of February and March feature winnable games. If Liverpool can continue their current form, they could easily find themselves contending for a top four spot in April and May.
- Being a keeper, it pains me a bit to mention, but the manner in which keepers get so butt-hurt with the smallest of touches is aggravating. Adrian, West Ham's goalkeeper, was brushed along the ribs by Coutinho - who was trying to avoid contact. By his reaction, you would think Adrian had been shanked in the lunch line at the state penitentiary. Really? Goalkeepers are not accustomed to being hit, but these sorts of overreactions are not beneficial to the game.
- Speaking of overacting, I'm tired of players putting their teammates in peril because they want to lay on the deck in hopes of earning their opponent a yellow card. Markovic went down in the box after being grazed along the face and stayed down for a good 30 seconds. He is by no means the only player to do such things, but sooner or later those sorts of actions will be punished by an attack taking advantage of one fewer player involving themselves in the play.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
I return and so does Liverpool
Welcome back to this space, filled with delightful insightful nuggets of joy. In seriousness, the only reason I didn't write following the match against Sunderland was my wonderful DVR decided to stop recording the match at halftime. Even though the scoreline remained the same, I didn't feel it appropriate to do a writeup when I had only seen half the game. Anyway, on with the festivities.
Liverpool came into the match against Aston Villa in a decent spot in the table, but still needing wins. This match and this win was a decent measuring stick of where the squad is at the moment. Yes, Villa have been struggling of late, but they have talent at the right positions to be able to challenge at times and give enough of a game to let the Reds see what they measure up to right now. Liverpool's offense has sprung back to life.
Perhaps it was only one match, but it was good to see the bonafide strikers score for this team. Liverpool came out and dominated the game the way they used to last season. They looked cool on the ball and were making cheeky passes that were still smart and not putting the defenders in a spot if the pass did not come off. Even the broadcasters on the match kept saying it was only a matter of time before Liverpool would find a way through. They would in the 24th minute.
Jordan Henderson, who had a fine game in one of his first attempts to really fill the captaincy role, knocked a great ball across the area. Fabio Borini, who had not scored a league goal for the club since the spring of 2013, made a good backside run off the defender, stuck out his boot and knocked it just past the diving Brad Guzan. The Reds would add their final goal in the 79th minute.
Rickie Lambert, who had checked in for Borini minutes earlier, received a pass from Raheem Sterling just inside the box on the right. Instead of making the pass to a trailing, but open, Henderson, Lambert took it on himself and put a decent right foot through it. The shot slid on the ground to the far side post and a partially screened Guzan stood little chance of getting to it. It was a banner day for the strikers, perhaps only enhanced had the Italian enigma, Mario Balotelli, been included and score.
One of the few drawbacks of the match, was the lack of intensity defending the ball after the first goal. Despite having the better of possession for most of the match, Aston Villa came out in the second half and took it too the Reds. Liverpool defended well in terms of the back three but gave up several quality chances. As usual, they looked their most vulnerable on corner kicks. If not for some very good goalkeeping by Simon Mingolet the match may have gone the other way. The danger of that is a team with higher quality finishers would have, most likely, put those chances away.
Yet, overall, even the detractions from this game are fairly nit-picky. Yes, the team gave up several quality chances during a period when they should have had their foot on the Villans throats but they did enough to not concede. Liverpool should have been up 2-0 before the opening half even ended as Sterling was given a great open chance in the box. Sterling, believing that Guzan was on the hard charge, tried to chip the goalkeeper instead of slotting one low.
Brad Guzan also saved several chances as well, which could have put Liverpool up by three or four by the end. It was also good to see the team play a solid 90 without Steven Gerrard in the lineup. Liverpool will have to get used to doing just that with the departure of their long serving captain only months away. While Henderson is not ant may never be close to Gerrard, he did a good job at regrouping the team and keeping their composure when the Villans were on the attack. Another bright spot gleaned from this match and some of the past few is that the team is playing for Brendan Rodgers again.
I do not believe the team had ever lost confidence in Rodgers, but you could see that the managers choices were not always successful and perhaps that thought was even creeping into the squad. One can easily still challenge the manager on some of his team selections - the inclusion of Jordan Williams for some reason or the inclusion of at least three attacking options on the bench just weeks after having none. But, for now, as they were last season, Rodgers' decisions are working out. That is the bottom line really.
As fans, we can argue and pout and say this or that and love the manager or hate him. If his decisions prove fruitful and successful for the team, however, it is all just fan conjecture. Liverpool are winning. Unbeaten in their last six league matches and winners of four in that span, the Reds are on the march. Will it lead to another Champions League spot? Hard to say. Many matches remain and though Liverpool have reached the seventh spot in the table, it is still a long road to hoe. Southampton seem determined to not falter as some have claimed they will. Manchester United, though shaky and embroiled in turmoil, are still in a favorable position. Tottenham is up and down, but still above the Reds at the moment and no matter how good or bad they look, Arsenal seems to always find a way to sneak into the top four.
Liverpool's bad days are not far behind in the mirror. Their own manager admits as much. But he, as well as we, can and should see how far they have come. "There's a lot of improvement left in this team and group. But we're building towards the future here at the club. We have been progressing very well," said Rodgers after the Villa match. "We obviously had a bump in the road in the early part of the season. But in this period, the team is performing at a good level - defensively strong and playing some wonderful football. It's pleasing, but we have to keep improving."
The calls for firings and sackings have died down and the club is turning it around. Rodgers' words again have meaning instead of useless fluff. The dark days are not altogether gone, but there is light. The team, the club and all its supporters can feel it and though nothing is guaranteed, at least we have tangible positives to see. When we all see it, we never walk alone.
* quotes courtesy of LiverpoolFC.com and Chris Shaw/James Carroll.
Liverpool came into the match against Aston Villa in a decent spot in the table, but still needing wins. This match and this win was a decent measuring stick of where the squad is at the moment. Yes, Villa have been struggling of late, but they have talent at the right positions to be able to challenge at times and give enough of a game to let the Reds see what they measure up to right now. Liverpool's offense has sprung back to life.
Perhaps it was only one match, but it was good to see the bonafide strikers score for this team. Liverpool came out and dominated the game the way they used to last season. They looked cool on the ball and were making cheeky passes that were still smart and not putting the defenders in a spot if the pass did not come off. Even the broadcasters on the match kept saying it was only a matter of time before Liverpool would find a way through. They would in the 24th minute.
Jordan Henderson, who had a fine game in one of his first attempts to really fill the captaincy role, knocked a great ball across the area. Fabio Borini, who had not scored a league goal for the club since the spring of 2013, made a good backside run off the defender, stuck out his boot and knocked it just past the diving Brad Guzan. The Reds would add their final goal in the 79th minute.
Rickie Lambert, who had checked in for Borini minutes earlier, received a pass from Raheem Sterling just inside the box on the right. Instead of making the pass to a trailing, but open, Henderson, Lambert took it on himself and put a decent right foot through it. The shot slid on the ground to the far side post and a partially screened Guzan stood little chance of getting to it. It was a banner day for the strikers, perhaps only enhanced had the Italian enigma, Mario Balotelli, been included and score.
One of the few drawbacks of the match, was the lack of intensity defending the ball after the first goal. Despite having the better of possession for most of the match, Aston Villa came out in the second half and took it too the Reds. Liverpool defended well in terms of the back three but gave up several quality chances. As usual, they looked their most vulnerable on corner kicks. If not for some very good goalkeeping by Simon Mingolet the match may have gone the other way. The danger of that is a team with higher quality finishers would have, most likely, put those chances away.
Yet, overall, even the detractions from this game are fairly nit-picky. Yes, the team gave up several quality chances during a period when they should have had their foot on the Villans throats but they did enough to not concede. Liverpool should have been up 2-0 before the opening half even ended as Sterling was given a great open chance in the box. Sterling, believing that Guzan was on the hard charge, tried to chip the goalkeeper instead of slotting one low.
Brad Guzan also saved several chances as well, which could have put Liverpool up by three or four by the end. It was also good to see the team play a solid 90 without Steven Gerrard in the lineup. Liverpool will have to get used to doing just that with the departure of their long serving captain only months away. While Henderson is not ant may never be close to Gerrard, he did a good job at regrouping the team and keeping their composure when the Villans were on the attack. Another bright spot gleaned from this match and some of the past few is that the team is playing for Brendan Rodgers again.
I do not believe the team had ever lost confidence in Rodgers, but you could see that the managers choices were not always successful and perhaps that thought was even creeping into the squad. One can easily still challenge the manager on some of his team selections - the inclusion of Jordan Williams for some reason or the inclusion of at least three attacking options on the bench just weeks after having none. But, for now, as they were last season, Rodgers' decisions are working out. That is the bottom line really.
As fans, we can argue and pout and say this or that and love the manager or hate him. If his decisions prove fruitful and successful for the team, however, it is all just fan conjecture. Liverpool are winning. Unbeaten in their last six league matches and winners of four in that span, the Reds are on the march. Will it lead to another Champions League spot? Hard to say. Many matches remain and though Liverpool have reached the seventh spot in the table, it is still a long road to hoe. Southampton seem determined to not falter as some have claimed they will. Manchester United, though shaky and embroiled in turmoil, are still in a favorable position. Tottenham is up and down, but still above the Reds at the moment and no matter how good or bad they look, Arsenal seems to always find a way to sneak into the top four.
Liverpool's bad days are not far behind in the mirror. Their own manager admits as much. But he, as well as we, can and should see how far they have come. "There's a lot of improvement left in this team and group. But we're building towards the future here at the club. We have been progressing very well," said Rodgers after the Villa match. "We obviously had a bump in the road in the early part of the season. But in this period, the team is performing at a good level - defensively strong and playing some wonderful football. It's pleasing, but we have to keep improving."
The calls for firings and sackings have died down and the club is turning it around. Rodgers' words again have meaning instead of useless fluff. The dark days are not altogether gone, but there is light. The team, the club and all its supporters can feel it and though nothing is guaranteed, at least we have tangible positives to see. When we all see it, we never walk alone.
* quotes courtesy of LiverpoolFC.com and Chris Shaw/James Carroll.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
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.
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.
Monday, December 29, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
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.
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.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
A win is a win
It was not pretty. It was not nice. It was not what many fans expected or maybe even wanted, but it's what they got and what they have to digest. In a game that Liverpool desperately needed a win, that's exactly what they got even if it wasn't particularly pleasing to the pallet. The contest again provided the faithful plenty of reasons to wonder what the heck is going on.
Ever the villain, Glen Johnson still continues to figure into the starting 11 and, although I have nothing against him overall, it was exceedingly puzzling to see Jose Enrique on the team sheet. It was not surprising to see Steven Gerrard absent, due to the mid-week start, but Joe Allen's inclusion was a bit of a surprise due to his lack of inspiring play - often being little more than a body on the field. The injuries and lack of options made the attacking players pretty well a known quantity.
Given all this, the Reds still had what looked like a team that should handily take care of Stoke even despite the fact the Potters have taken results and victories against teams like Manchester City. When the week began, most supporters thought it could be a three win week. A crushing defeat to Crystal Palace and a disheartening late equalizer by Ludogorets all but threw the water on what some hoped would spark a fire that could lead to a long run. Instead they were left with the small hope of at least one positive result.
Really there is little to discuss with the game. Even the announcers during the first half commented on how little happened. If anything, it was a disappointing fixture because Stoke had as many chances as Liverpool. Both sides were denied. Stoke hit the post and Mignolet made some decent saves in a game where he may have thought he would see little action. On the flip side, despite an almost non-existent midfield, Liverpool should have put home at least two chances before they actually did score. Lucas' and Allen's attempts on goal come straight to mind.
Yet, before we delve too deep into the pit of despair, let us not forget that three points were gained. We can challenge the manager on his team selection all we want. We can wonder at the ineptitude of the Reds' play at times and their lack of any will other than the will to be disappointing. We can wonder why two players, no matter how talented, can have such an affect on the scoring - or lack thereof - of a team that seemed very talented a season ago.
Ultimately, no matter how it looked, the result the team wanted; the result the team needed was gained. The seemingly universally unpopular Johson was the hero of the hour with a superb effort goal. In the end, it may be what the doctor ordered. Perhaps, instead of a game where all ills were cured and all the players just lept off the page with glorious performances, maybe this was the sort of ugly victory that will actually turn the page on what has been a less than inspiring season. Maybe a victory when so many players were still less than their best will actually boost some confidence. Only time will tell.
Liverpool still have a string of winnable games to come, so perhaps this will be the spark. Even the smallest spark can ignite things if properly stoked. The supporters will be watching and continue to do all they can to help their club. Maybe at season's end, all will look back on an ugly win in the dying days of November as the point when things turned for the better. Walk on.
Ever the villain, Glen Johnson still continues to figure into the starting 11 and, although I have nothing against him overall, it was exceedingly puzzling to see Jose Enrique on the team sheet. It was not surprising to see Steven Gerrard absent, due to the mid-week start, but Joe Allen's inclusion was a bit of a surprise due to his lack of inspiring play - often being little more than a body on the field. The injuries and lack of options made the attacking players pretty well a known quantity.
Given all this, the Reds still had what looked like a team that should handily take care of Stoke even despite the fact the Potters have taken results and victories against teams like Manchester City. When the week began, most supporters thought it could be a three win week. A crushing defeat to Crystal Palace and a disheartening late equalizer by Ludogorets all but threw the water on what some hoped would spark a fire that could lead to a long run. Instead they were left with the small hope of at least one positive result.
Really there is little to discuss with the game. Even the announcers during the first half commented on how little happened. If anything, it was a disappointing fixture because Stoke had as many chances as Liverpool. Both sides were denied. Stoke hit the post and Mignolet made some decent saves in a game where he may have thought he would see little action. On the flip side, despite an almost non-existent midfield, Liverpool should have put home at least two chances before they actually did score. Lucas' and Allen's attempts on goal come straight to mind.
Yet, before we delve too deep into the pit of despair, let us not forget that three points were gained. We can challenge the manager on his team selection all we want. We can wonder at the ineptitude of the Reds' play at times and their lack of any will other than the will to be disappointing. We can wonder why two players, no matter how talented, can have such an affect on the scoring - or lack thereof - of a team that seemed very talented a season ago.
Ultimately, no matter how it looked, the result the team wanted; the result the team needed was gained. The seemingly universally unpopular Johson was the hero of the hour with a superb effort goal. In the end, it may be what the doctor ordered. Perhaps, instead of a game where all ills were cured and all the players just lept off the page with glorious performances, maybe this was the sort of ugly victory that will actually turn the page on what has been a less than inspiring season. Maybe a victory when so many players were still less than their best will actually boost some confidence. Only time will tell.
Liverpool still have a string of winnable games to come, so perhaps this will be the spark. Even the smallest spark can ignite things if properly stoked. The supporters will be watching and continue to do all they can to help their club. Maybe at season's end, all will look back on an ugly win in the dying days of November as the point when things turned for the better. Walk on.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
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.
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.
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