Liverpool earned their way into an appearance at Wembley Stadium for an FA Cup semifinal match with Aston Villa. A hard fought replay against Blackburn Rovers went the Reds' way with a 1-0 win. In very few ways, if any, was this the game Liverpool fans were hoping for, but it was a victory. Following two bad losses to Manchester United and Arsenal in the league and several weeks of controversy surrounding the contract status of Raheem Sterling, Liverpool simply needed some positivity.
It wasn't the prettiest of games. Much of the first half, for Liverpool, was spent in possession that went nowhere. The Reds had the ball, knocked it around the back, pushed forward now and then but really created nothing. There was a nice flick back by Daniel Sturridge in the 16th minute that almost led to a chance. Coutinho had a sharp angle chance blocked in the 18th minute and Liverpool attacked reasonably well in the 20 minute stages. However, there was very little true pressure placed on Blackburn's keeper Simon Eastwood.
For a bit, it even seemed as though things would continue to pile up on Liverpool. Mamadou Sakho picked up an apparent hamstring injury and had to be subbed off in the 27th minute. The Reds were already shorthanded with suspensions to key players and the chosen substitute, Kolo Toure, was about as far from anything resembling good form as you can be in his time against Arsenal.
Things continued in the woe category as Coutinho appeared to have a golden chance in the 36th minute, when his shot seemed destined for the bottom right corner only to have Eastwood come up with a last second save. Eastwood was screened until the ball was about four yards out, which made the stop even more improbable. On the flip side of that coin, Simon Mingolet was called into action in the second half as well. Two huge saves, both diving to his left, probably saved the result for his club.
Mere moments after leaping to stop a drive heading for the upper left side of the goal, Mingolet kept one out of the bottom left with a save rivaling his counterpart. The Belgian keeper saw it very late and was screened by several of his own players. There was also a question of potential handball by Joe Allen, and by the letter of the law it may have been, but it was unintentional and did not alter the shot in any manner. That moment was really a catalyst for Liverpool.
They turned up the pressure in the 50th minute onward. They did allow the occasional counterattack or two, but really steadied the game. Kolo Toure had an excellent block in the 66th minute, not totally erasing his previous performance, but at least putting him back in a more positive light. Finally, Coutinho broke the deadlock in the 70th minute. Coutinho replaced Jordan Henderson on the corner kick and did not have a very good attempt, in all honesty. However, the Brazilian recouped possession, took a quick pass from Henderson in the box and rocketed a shot across the face of goal and in off the post.
One knock on the Reds' squad was their lack of urgency the rest of the half. Plenty could have gone wrong in the final 20 minutes and despite Liverpool's dominance of possession, they did not really seek out that second goal. It almost came back to bite them when Eastwood had a brilliant turn and shot in the box. Mingolet saw the shot late, but got down to block it and smother the 94th minute attempt and ultimately the Reds got the win.
Things haven't gone Liverpool's way lately and a win was sorely needed. While positives weren't abundantly available, they were there. The Reds did not crush the second tier opponent and did not look like world beaters, but they got the job done. They overcame the obstacle of suspensions to Steven Gerrard, Martin Skrtel and Emre Can. Toure did a reasonably good job of coming in and defending. Dejan Lovren was solid in possession and made no mistakes. Joe Allen will never be anyone's first choice, outside of perhaps his manager, but he did a solid job and did exactly what was asked of him in every way. Mingolet continued his top form. Sterling and Coutinho looked very positive as well.
Nobody will ever confuse Blackburn for a true stern test, but Liverpool did what was necessary and took enough away from the game to look forward instead of worrying too much about the last two games. That said, questions still linger for this side as they progress. Though Manchester City continues to leave the door cracked, gaining a top four spot will be incredibly difficult. The specter of a Europa League spot also looms. A league match against Chelsea is still on the horizon, but a date in Wembley Stadium is a pretty sweet carrot to put in your pocket. Now the team must simply look to themselves and do the best they can.
Random thoughts:
- I understand he was playing out of position, but I was confused to see Jordan Henderson constantly in the center of the field when he was technically listed as a wing back.
- Springboarding off that idea, again I realize that Henderson, Sterling or Adam Lallana are all out of position in the wingback position, but you have to put your best players in their best position and let the rest fall where it may. Sterling has been useless in the wing position and should always be part of the attacking trio in the current set up.
- Liverpool's defending corp needs to catch a break. Can will be available in the next match, but the injury to Sakho now throws more cloudiness into an already murky situation back there.
- Speaking of injury, given his recent history, Sturridge's asking to be subbed off was a bit troubling. He did not appear to be laboring, but one still worries when he asks to be removed.
- Liverpool supporters will always do their best to support whoever slips on the red kit. However, changes have to be made to this squad. Age and injury have played a huge role but players like Allen and Lucas just aren't good enough to be consistently relied upon and regardless of what formation Liverpool use going forward, they have to find a true wingback. The constant rotation on the outside is frustrating as a fan and provides no stability from a team standpoint.
- Things have been set up in a positive way for Liverpool. Aston Villa is probably going to be more concerned with staying out of the relegation zone and is in poor form to begin with. A finals appearance is not assured, but seems likely. Unfortunately, Liverpool may be forced to see an in-form Arsenal team once more, should that finals spot be attained.
Walk On.
Showing posts with label Blackburn Rovers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blackburn Rovers. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The Dangers of the FA Cup
The dangers of the FA Cup reared their head for Liverpool FC in their match against Blackburn Rovers. The Reds are in the midst of a fight for a top four spot in the English Premier League with important fixtures approaching against Arsenal and Manchester United. Now, with a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup quarterfinal, Liverpool are forced to find an open date to have the replay and expend more energy.
The FA Cup is a competition worth winning. It is worth putting energy in to get to the finals. Liverpool are one step away from getting to play in Wembley Stadium, which is something both the players and fans want - not just for the team, but for Steven Gerrard. However, for a club trying so hard to put focus on one thing or the other, the FA Cup has presented Liverpool with almost as many problems as positives.
In the match itself, Blackburn deserves a lot of credit. They came into the fixture with a gameplan and executed it perfectly. It was a gameplan that many of us don't like. Regardless of who you support, most fans of the game don't like when teams focus solely on defense and have 11 players behind the ball. However, when there are 26 spots between two clubs then the gameplan makes sense.
Blackburn did not only play defense. They managed a few attacks up the field in the first half. Simon Mingolet came up with a huge save. Alex Baptiste rose above the defenders, got solid contact from the header and hit the ball toward the upper corner of the goal. Adam Lallana tried to head it away, but was too close to the effort to have sufficient reaction time. Mingolet sprung to his left, stuck out the left pallm and struck the ball away.
Liverpool did not play a poor game, by any means. The Reds held onto the ball fairly well, dealt with the Rovers' chances with efficiency and did create problems in the back end of Blackburn's defense. The problem Liverpool ran up against was that final, critical ball just did not seem to find the mark. Raheem Sterling and Coutinho were sublime in control of the ball. The ball was often attached to their shoelaces so tightly that one could wonder if they had magnets in their boots.
Unfortunately, Blackburn's plan kept them at bay. There were almost always two defenders on the ball. If Liverpool's skill managed to get through the first wave, then there often a third or fourth defender collapsing on the ball as well.
As previously mentioned, credit has to go to Blackburn. They defended how they needed and absorbed the speed and skill of the Liverpool wingers. Let us not forget that they did knock off two Premier League teams to get to this quarterfinal stage as well. Some will point out it was Swansea and Stoke, but the bottom line is that those sides are in the Premier League and Blackburn is a midtable side in the Championship. Even manager, Brendan Rodgers agreed that Blackburn was to be credited.
"You've got to respect the opponent as well," said Rodgers. "We've been on a great run of form, winning games. It's difficult. We've got to go to Blackburn now and win, but we're more than capable of doing that."
All things being equal, Liverpool played a decent game but just could not manage to find that final ball or cross or slip through that last hole to score. It brings up the dangers of playing in a cup competition when you're in a situation such as Liverpool.
If they had no chance of reaching the top four or were solidly in, like Manchester City or Chelsea, the FA Cup would not be presenting any sort of problems. It would simply be a chance at silverware with little other worries from it. Instead, Liverpool are forced to divide resources. They are forced to either rotate the squad more to keep players fresh or use the same squad again and risk either crashing out of the Cup or dropping an important fixture in the league.
These are not excuses if Liverpool fail to get into the top four or win the FA Cup. These are simply the realities of football. Liverpool failed to force the issue, failed to create that little bit of magic and will now have to play the replay. The Reds have the skill to win on the road. The problem now, outside of the obvious extra energy sapped from the legs comes with the scheduling issues.
Apparently, there is some sort of agreement that FA Cup games not be scheduled during Champions League fixtures. Therefore, due to Liverpool's league match against Swansea being on a Monday the only open date falls between the clubs matches with Manchester United and Arsenal unless something else is worked out. That could be the worst case scenario, but it is what it is.
Liverpool have set goals of winning a competition and getting back into the top four. Both are still attainable. Champions League is probably a bigger financial windfall, therefor the league would take a bit of priority. But one match should not determine the rest of the season. Liverpool have proven they are capable of going on the road and getting the job done. The FA Cup is still a winnable competition. The club has the skill to still accomplish both, but they've made it a little harder with two consecutive replays.
Random thoughts:
- I love the comment from Stewart Robson about the official. Basically he said on another day, with another official there may have been as many as four penalties. I agree that none were blatant and needed to be called.
- Liverpool do need to find more ways to get the strikers involved in central areas. The Reds don't have the height to be looking for crosses, but they need to figure a way to get Sturridge and/or Balotelli involved more in the box. Sturridge got himself into a few good places by his own accord and Balotelli was basically a nonfactor. It's great to have the skill and speed of Sterling and Coutinho on the wings but you cannot expect them to create their own shots from those positions every game.
- It's good to see Mingolet playing so much better. He was a bit apprehensive at times when the sun was in his eyes, as any keeper would be. Outside of that, he has rebounded incredibly well after being taken out of the team. Even as a defender of my fellow keepers, I admit that he will likely never enter the upper crust of world goalkeepers but if he keeps up his current form then there may not be a clear replacement that will be available.
Walk On.
The FA Cup is a competition worth winning. It is worth putting energy in to get to the finals. Liverpool are one step away from getting to play in Wembley Stadium, which is something both the players and fans want - not just for the team, but for Steven Gerrard. However, for a club trying so hard to put focus on one thing or the other, the FA Cup has presented Liverpool with almost as many problems as positives.
In the match itself, Blackburn deserves a lot of credit. They came into the fixture with a gameplan and executed it perfectly. It was a gameplan that many of us don't like. Regardless of who you support, most fans of the game don't like when teams focus solely on defense and have 11 players behind the ball. However, when there are 26 spots between two clubs then the gameplan makes sense.
Blackburn did not only play defense. They managed a few attacks up the field in the first half. Simon Mingolet came up with a huge save. Alex Baptiste rose above the defenders, got solid contact from the header and hit the ball toward the upper corner of the goal. Adam Lallana tried to head it away, but was too close to the effort to have sufficient reaction time. Mingolet sprung to his left, stuck out the left pallm and struck the ball away.
Liverpool did not play a poor game, by any means. The Reds held onto the ball fairly well, dealt with the Rovers' chances with efficiency and did create problems in the back end of Blackburn's defense. The problem Liverpool ran up against was that final, critical ball just did not seem to find the mark. Raheem Sterling and Coutinho were sublime in control of the ball. The ball was often attached to their shoelaces so tightly that one could wonder if they had magnets in their boots.
Unfortunately, Blackburn's plan kept them at bay. There were almost always two defenders on the ball. If Liverpool's skill managed to get through the first wave, then there often a third or fourth defender collapsing on the ball as well.
As previously mentioned, credit has to go to Blackburn. They defended how they needed and absorbed the speed and skill of the Liverpool wingers. Let us not forget that they did knock off two Premier League teams to get to this quarterfinal stage as well. Some will point out it was Swansea and Stoke, but the bottom line is that those sides are in the Premier League and Blackburn is a midtable side in the Championship. Even manager, Brendan Rodgers agreed that Blackburn was to be credited.
"You've got to respect the opponent as well," said Rodgers. "We've been on a great run of form, winning games. It's difficult. We've got to go to Blackburn now and win, but we're more than capable of doing that."
All things being equal, Liverpool played a decent game but just could not manage to find that final ball or cross or slip through that last hole to score. It brings up the dangers of playing in a cup competition when you're in a situation such as Liverpool.
If they had no chance of reaching the top four or were solidly in, like Manchester City or Chelsea, the FA Cup would not be presenting any sort of problems. It would simply be a chance at silverware with little other worries from it. Instead, Liverpool are forced to divide resources. They are forced to either rotate the squad more to keep players fresh or use the same squad again and risk either crashing out of the Cup or dropping an important fixture in the league.
These are not excuses if Liverpool fail to get into the top four or win the FA Cup. These are simply the realities of football. Liverpool failed to force the issue, failed to create that little bit of magic and will now have to play the replay. The Reds have the skill to win on the road. The problem now, outside of the obvious extra energy sapped from the legs comes with the scheduling issues.
Apparently, there is some sort of agreement that FA Cup games not be scheduled during Champions League fixtures. Therefore, due to Liverpool's league match against Swansea being on a Monday the only open date falls between the clubs matches with Manchester United and Arsenal unless something else is worked out. That could be the worst case scenario, but it is what it is.
Liverpool have set goals of winning a competition and getting back into the top four. Both are still attainable. Champions League is probably a bigger financial windfall, therefor the league would take a bit of priority. But one match should not determine the rest of the season. Liverpool have proven they are capable of going on the road and getting the job done. The FA Cup is still a winnable competition. The club has the skill to still accomplish both, but they've made it a little harder with two consecutive replays.
Random thoughts:
- I love the comment from Stewart Robson about the official. Basically he said on another day, with another official there may have been as many as four penalties. I agree that none were blatant and needed to be called.
- Liverpool do need to find more ways to get the strikers involved in central areas. The Reds don't have the height to be looking for crosses, but they need to figure a way to get Sturridge and/or Balotelli involved more in the box. Sturridge got himself into a few good places by his own accord and Balotelli was basically a nonfactor. It's great to have the skill and speed of Sterling and Coutinho on the wings but you cannot expect them to create their own shots from those positions every game.
- It's good to see Mingolet playing so much better. He was a bit apprehensive at times when the sun was in his eyes, as any keeper would be. Outside of that, he has rebounded incredibly well after being taken out of the team. Even as a defender of my fellow keepers, I admit that he will likely never enter the upper crust of world goalkeepers but if he keeps up his current form then there may not be a clear replacement that will be available.
Walk On.
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