On this Thanksgiving holiday in America, it is usual to pig out on food and watch football. It isn't as usual to watch the kind of football you actually use your feet. Such was the case on this day as the Europa League provided a rare occasion to look forward to. Liverpool were in action, at home, against Bordeaux. With plenty to be thankful for, given recent league results, Liverpool fans and players may have had a bit of a food coma. Ok, enough of the holiday puns.
To open up the game, the Reds looked solid going forward but just weren't on point in terms of placing the ball on target. Following the opening five minutes there were way too many Bordeaux chances. Bordeaux pushed forward and kept challenging the back line of Liverpool, despite not creating too much to trouble Simon Mignolet. Liverpool then countered a few times. Christian Benteke missed a good chance in 21st minute with a walloping volley.
Despite the miss, Liverpool seemed to rebound a bit after that. In the 29th minute, Benetke scored but was called offside. However, the crowd reaction was amazing. Perhaps the mics were just turned up, but it was an impressive explosion of sound from the faithful. Alas, for them, the elation would not last long. In addition to the offside call, the French side took a 1-0 lead only minutes later after a rare call for possessing the ball too long on Mignolet.
The Reds, in typical fashion from what they have shown under Jurgen Klopp, kept plugging away. They were rewarded when Liverpool were the beneficiary of a somewhat weak penalty call and James Milner smartly finished it off. Liverpool then finally got on the positive side of the ledger in the 45th minute with an absolute blast from Benteke. It was a fitting finish to the half for the striker and the team as he was rewarded for his hard work.
Liverpool came out with just as much energy in the second half. After a bit of an inauspicious start, with some fouls against, Liverpool found their footing and pushed forward. Another weak foul call, this time against the Reds(at least the official was consistent), denied Benteke his second goal and Liverpool's third. Following that converted but not counted chance, the Reds seemed to pour toward the goal at will.
Ultimately it came to nothing as neither team would score in the final 45 minutes. Liverpool looked capable but could not find that final ball. Bordeaux looked dangerous in the final moments, after Liverpool had made a few changes, but they could not convert. It was an interesting turn of events given the situation. Liverpool didn't really pack it in, despite having a spot in the knockout round wrapped up. Bordeaux didn't get caught on the counter despite needing to open up the game to keep any hope of advancing alive.
In the end, it was a nice win for Liverpool and a nice break in the norms of the day for their fans in America. It wasn't a spotless result. There were plenty of missed chances. The game could have easily seen two or more Reds' goals, but two sufficed. Liverpool allowed too many opportunities despite getting the win. That kind of performance may not result in something positive against higher quality teams. Nevertheless it was a victory. There were no injuries (in terms of the players who played on the field). Benteke continued to look like he may be well worth the price paid. Plenty to still improve on, but plenty to be thankful for.
Random Thoughts:
- Really? Another Daniel Sturridge injury? I feel for him as a person, but as a player he must be made of the thinnest possible glass you can find. Hopefully it is just something that needs a day or two rest, but just the idea is ridiculous at this stage.
- Fans will be fans. I live in a city where the running joke is everyone is trying to beat the traffic by leaving early even though they all leave at the same time so they get stuck anyway. That said, I do think the Klopp comments had something to do with the crowd reaction. As mentioned, rarely have I heard a reaction like that and the goal did not even stand. Could have been the audio, but the crowd at Anfield seemed to have extra juice.
Walk On
Showing posts with label Bordeaux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bordeaux. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Liverpool Fail to Hold Lead, Settle for Europa Draw
Today began the potentially long and winding road of the Europa League for Liverpool FC. It is always a competition mired in controversy for fans in regards to how important it is and where to place it in importance for a long season full of league games and cup competitions. Lots of new faces saw the field for Liverpool on this day. Jordan Rossiter and Divock Origi saw their first starts of the year. The evening would start as a back and forth contest between Liverpool and the French side, Bordeaux. Coutinho rolled one just wide in the fifth minute to begin the Reds' attack.
However, moments later, a long ball over the top fooled the shaky Liverpool defense and almost got chipped over a sliding Simon Mingolet in the 11th minute. That chance began a poor run of form for the Reds that saw a yellow card given to Kolo Toure, a hesitant punch from Mingolet and an injury from said punch on Toure. Liverpool again let up a long ball into the box and Wahbi Khazri almost curled one into the top corner, but saw it sail just wide.
There were decent offensive moments for this Reds side. Even though it was called offside, Divock Origi looked very positive on the ball, just skimming one wide in the 26th minute. The positivity was short lived as Kolo Toure succumbed to his knock from Mingolet in the 28th minute, after making several solid clearances. Due to the unexpected injury, Brendan Rodgers was forced to put in Pedro Chirivella and place Emre Can back in his less comfortable spot of last season, right back. The makeshift Liverpool back line, which also saw young Joe Gomez move to center back, actually seemed to gel relatively quickly. In attack Origi again looked smart, leading defenders away in the 36th minute, but Lallana's pass to Coutinho was too close to the defender and led to nothing. Diego Rolan had several first half chances.
Lallana continued his poor form as he dribbled right into the defense and waited too long, giving away possession in an attempt to draw a foul which never came. Poor defending again popped up toward the end of the half. Khazri was allowed to slice right to the center of the field and only a poor shot right at the keeper kept the score level. As the teams traded trips up the field, Liverpool almost poached one before the break. Coutinho rang one off the woodwork, as he is want to do, but again the Brazilian looked like the most likely to score for this Reds side.
Despite the chances, it was a disappointing half again for the Reds as they failed to really put their stamp on the contest. The second 45 opened up much the same as the first half. Liverpool failed to come out of the gates strong for the second game in a row, but managed to keep it from costing them. Lallana almost turned his fortunes around with a great spin move in the 59th minute, but fired it too close to the goalkeeper. Liverpool then failed to do anything with the following corner.
A few chances were given up in between, but Lallana's chance seemed to slowly simmer the Liverpool attack as they began to build things, even if at a snails pace from that time through about ten minutes later. Finally, the maligned Adam Lallana came through after that buildup. The winger, received a pass from Alberto Moreno on the left side of the box, took it in and nutmegged the defender and coolly slotted it past the goalkeeper to the far side netting.
Danny Ings came into the contest for Origi roughly midway through the half. Ings almost made an instant impact as he was set up very similarly to Lallana and almost scored a mirror goal to Liverpool's first. Unfortunately for Ings, the angle was just a bit too narrow and that allowed Cedric Carrasso to get down and palm it away. The game calmed down a little bit following those chances, save for a few nervy moments near the Liverpool goal.
Unfortunately for the Reds, contests last 90 minutes not 80. After a late sub, taking Rossiter off, Liverpool took their foot off the gas just enough. A difficult ball to handle in the box ultimately led to a goal for Bordeaux in the 81st minute. Liverpool failed to clear the ball when it popped into the air. That allowed the French side to control the ball, juggle it a few times and then have it slide loose to Bordeaux's sub Jussie who ripped it past Mingolet. Cameron Brannagan could not really be blamed for the goal, but it did not look good on the young player to have a goal come so quickly after his insertion into the contest. Liverpool's defense continued to allow pressure for the next few minutes, seemingly unwilling to deal with any ball that went into the center of the pitch.
The game opened as wide as possible following that. Moreno had a blast toward goal directed right at the keeper. Bordeaux sent several balls close to goal that Mingolet had to get fists to. The French team also took advantage of several Liverpool turnovers to drive down field, but the finishes just were not there. Liverpool's passing looked sharp when in attack, but like their counterparts the final one was just quite there. In the end, the pressure did not crack the Liverpool defense, despite the continual backing in at the death. A valuable point was gained by the Reds and valuable experience was gained by young players and players who may need it come the dog days of a long season. As has become typical with this team, there were many disappointing moments and missed opportunities. Plenty of work remains if this is to become a team that can contend for anything, but it was a positive result and any momentum that is not negative is a good thing right now.
Random Thoughts:
- Jordan Rossiter looked decent in his starting debut. He struggled with fitness toward the end, which can be expected of someone yet to play a full 90 minutes in top competition. He did not overly impress skill wise, but I liked his intensity in challenges. Also, it's good to see someone who has come through the academy system. It's always nice to see players be brought up instead of always having to shell out money to bring them in from other teams.
- On American TV, analyst Alexi Lalas was unimpressed with Divock Origi. I slightly disagree. When on the ball he was very positive and created a few chances. He did not light the world on fire, but as time goes on it becomes more and more apparent that none of the players in the Liverpool squad are suited to play as a lone striker, so it was just as much a problem of system as anything Origi did or did not do. That said, he did disappear for stretches and needs to work at interjecting himself into the game more.
- Emre Can is a confusing player to view. There are times he uses his quickness and long stride to track down or keep up with some of the fastest players on the field. There are other times he looks labored in his movements and can appear lazy, even if this is far from true. Perhaps I over analyze his running mechanics. He is, nevertheless, a versatile player that is very valuable in the sorts of situations that pop up from time to time such as Toure's injury.
- I am of two schools of thought when it comes to Europa. I fully understand and support the need to get valuable playing time and European experience for young players and the underutilized squad. On the flip side, while top four in the league is still achievable, it would be nice to just say go for it and prove that Liverpool are still a team to contend with and go for some silverware. That said, it is understandable that the league is still the priority at this early stage.
- Despite the goal and a few flashes of attack, Liverpool continue to prove that they are unable to play with a top three that utilizes a lone striker. When Daniel Sturridge regains fitness, they must play with a top two of Benteke and Sturridge with Coutinho tucked in behind. If that means that players like Firmino or Lallana's playing time suffer as a result, so be it.
Walk On.
However, moments later, a long ball over the top fooled the shaky Liverpool defense and almost got chipped over a sliding Simon Mingolet in the 11th minute. That chance began a poor run of form for the Reds that saw a yellow card given to Kolo Toure, a hesitant punch from Mingolet and an injury from said punch on Toure. Liverpool again let up a long ball into the box and Wahbi Khazri almost curled one into the top corner, but saw it sail just wide.
There were decent offensive moments for this Reds side. Even though it was called offside, Divock Origi looked very positive on the ball, just skimming one wide in the 26th minute. The positivity was short lived as Kolo Toure succumbed to his knock from Mingolet in the 28th minute, after making several solid clearances. Due to the unexpected injury, Brendan Rodgers was forced to put in Pedro Chirivella and place Emre Can back in his less comfortable spot of last season, right back. The makeshift Liverpool back line, which also saw young Joe Gomez move to center back, actually seemed to gel relatively quickly. In attack Origi again looked smart, leading defenders away in the 36th minute, but Lallana's pass to Coutinho was too close to the defender and led to nothing. Diego Rolan had several first half chances.
Lallana continued his poor form as he dribbled right into the defense and waited too long, giving away possession in an attempt to draw a foul which never came. Poor defending again popped up toward the end of the half. Khazri was allowed to slice right to the center of the field and only a poor shot right at the keeper kept the score level. As the teams traded trips up the field, Liverpool almost poached one before the break. Coutinho rang one off the woodwork, as he is want to do, but again the Brazilian looked like the most likely to score for this Reds side.
Despite the chances, it was a disappointing half again for the Reds as they failed to really put their stamp on the contest. The second 45 opened up much the same as the first half. Liverpool failed to come out of the gates strong for the second game in a row, but managed to keep it from costing them. Lallana almost turned his fortunes around with a great spin move in the 59th minute, but fired it too close to the goalkeeper. Liverpool then failed to do anything with the following corner.
A few chances were given up in between, but Lallana's chance seemed to slowly simmer the Liverpool attack as they began to build things, even if at a snails pace from that time through about ten minutes later. Finally, the maligned Adam Lallana came through after that buildup. The winger, received a pass from Alberto Moreno on the left side of the box, took it in and nutmegged the defender and coolly slotted it past the goalkeeper to the far side netting.
Danny Ings came into the contest for Origi roughly midway through the half. Ings almost made an instant impact as he was set up very similarly to Lallana and almost scored a mirror goal to Liverpool's first. Unfortunately for Ings, the angle was just a bit too narrow and that allowed Cedric Carrasso to get down and palm it away. The game calmed down a little bit following those chances, save for a few nervy moments near the Liverpool goal.
Unfortunately for the Reds, contests last 90 minutes not 80. After a late sub, taking Rossiter off, Liverpool took their foot off the gas just enough. A difficult ball to handle in the box ultimately led to a goal for Bordeaux in the 81st minute. Liverpool failed to clear the ball when it popped into the air. That allowed the French side to control the ball, juggle it a few times and then have it slide loose to Bordeaux's sub Jussie who ripped it past Mingolet. Cameron Brannagan could not really be blamed for the goal, but it did not look good on the young player to have a goal come so quickly after his insertion into the contest. Liverpool's defense continued to allow pressure for the next few minutes, seemingly unwilling to deal with any ball that went into the center of the pitch.
The game opened as wide as possible following that. Moreno had a blast toward goal directed right at the keeper. Bordeaux sent several balls close to goal that Mingolet had to get fists to. The French team also took advantage of several Liverpool turnovers to drive down field, but the finishes just were not there. Liverpool's passing looked sharp when in attack, but like their counterparts the final one was just quite there. In the end, the pressure did not crack the Liverpool defense, despite the continual backing in at the death. A valuable point was gained by the Reds and valuable experience was gained by young players and players who may need it come the dog days of a long season. As has become typical with this team, there were many disappointing moments and missed opportunities. Plenty of work remains if this is to become a team that can contend for anything, but it was a positive result and any momentum that is not negative is a good thing right now.
Random Thoughts:
- Jordan Rossiter looked decent in his starting debut. He struggled with fitness toward the end, which can be expected of someone yet to play a full 90 minutes in top competition. He did not overly impress skill wise, but I liked his intensity in challenges. Also, it's good to see someone who has come through the academy system. It's always nice to see players be brought up instead of always having to shell out money to bring them in from other teams.
- On American TV, analyst Alexi Lalas was unimpressed with Divock Origi. I slightly disagree. When on the ball he was very positive and created a few chances. He did not light the world on fire, but as time goes on it becomes more and more apparent that none of the players in the Liverpool squad are suited to play as a lone striker, so it was just as much a problem of system as anything Origi did or did not do. That said, he did disappear for stretches and needs to work at interjecting himself into the game more.
- Emre Can is a confusing player to view. There are times he uses his quickness and long stride to track down or keep up with some of the fastest players on the field. There are other times he looks labored in his movements and can appear lazy, even if this is far from true. Perhaps I over analyze his running mechanics. He is, nevertheless, a versatile player that is very valuable in the sorts of situations that pop up from time to time such as Toure's injury.
- I am of two schools of thought when it comes to Europa. I fully understand and support the need to get valuable playing time and European experience for young players and the underutilized squad. On the flip side, while top four in the league is still achievable, it would be nice to just say go for it and prove that Liverpool are still a team to contend with and go for some silverware. That said, it is understandable that the league is still the priority at this early stage.
- Despite the goal and a few flashes of attack, Liverpool continue to prove that they are unable to play with a top three that utilizes a lone striker. When Daniel Sturridge regains fitness, they must play with a top two of Benteke and Sturridge with Coutinho tucked in behind. If that means that players like Firmino or Lallana's playing time suffer as a result, so be it.
Walk On.
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