Coming into the fourth round of the FA Cup, Liverpool were placed in the unenviable position of needing to rest players but not being allowed to take West Ham United lightly due to being thumped by the Hammers twice in the league. So, what you got was a mishmash of young players and first-squad players that hadn't seen as much playing time. In the opening 45 minutes of play, it was actually a lineup that played well.
Liverpool dominated possession, not only in general but in the attacking third. They created a few chances, though not enough to score given the 0-0 scoreline at the half, but still enough to look positive. The best chance was a Cameron Brannagan blistering shot that may have been heading for the lower 90, but was saved by the West Ham keeper's fingertips. Everyone was lively and seeming to be feeding off the energy their coach, Jurgen Klopp has in spades.
The downfall of the contest was also the lineup. The young team was no longer playing against Exeter. They were going against an actual Premier League side and you could tell. While there was energy and enthusiasm to burn, you could also tell this was not a starting XI that had played together. Several ideas were tried, but did not come off due to players not only not being on the same page, but sometimes not even in the same chapter. For as well as someone like Brad Smith has played of late, he constantly flicked balls to nowhere or sent passes to no one because there was no cohesiveness between the squad. Ultimately it did not cost the team in the first half.
The second half was a different matter. Both sides came out looking to end it in the first minutes. West Ham came closest in the 50th minute when the ball was bouncing around and actually caught the arm of Steven Caulker. Liverpool were lucky to survive both the handball and the scrum to follow without conceding. The Reds seemed to catch their breath a bit after that scare and returned to their front foot and pushed forward.
Joao Teixeira struck one on target in the 63rd minute, trying to rip one near post that was turned away by Darren Rudolph. Then Rudolph came up huge again in the 75th minute. A great through-ball found Christian Benteke in the box. His shot was quickly stopped, the rebound from Joe Allen was al but smothered and then Benteke had a second attempt that was turned away.
In the end, none of it mattered. The game was good experience for the young players again. From a mental standpoint, it was good to play so well against West Ham, which has not been the case in the last few matches. But since neither team could score - though West Ham came unnervingly close in stoppage time - it means another match added to an already overcrowded schedule. No fan wants their team to lose and no manager truly wants to give up on a match or tournament, however the FA Cup is really putting a strain on the squad. It will be interesting to see if Klopp continues the run of younger players in the FA Cup, but for now Liverpool must focus on a rather good performance if not a result.
Random Thoughts:
- Something should change about the replays. I fully understand that it means more TV money for the smaller clubs, which can keep them afloat for an entire season. However, if the FA refuses to make any changes to the schedule over the holidays, then something has to give. It just adds too many unwanted matches.
- It's easier said than done, but Liverpool need to find a game changer. They need someone who will stand up and put the team on their shoulders in games like this. Whether it's the first squad or this younger team, there just isn't that player in the side that you know can make the difference.
- This is truly a random thought since it has nothing to do with the game. Forget about Alex Teixeira. I have no problems with the player, but it just doesn't seem worth it to be held for ransom by Shaktar. Every rumor says the price is going up and then Shaktar will say you had better double the last offer. That's ridiculous. Teixeira is talented, but even though all teams try to lowball their first offer there just can't be a way that doubling the price is worth it.
Walk On
Showing posts with label Brad Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brad Smith. Show all posts
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Thursday, December 10, 2015
LFC's Bland Draw Little More Than A Training Match
Welcome back to me. I was down in Orange Beach, Alabama broadcasting the NAIA Women's Soccer Championships. I missed out on a great Liverpool performance and one that, well, was not so great. Alas, that is probably what this team is. Fans were hoping for the best of LFC in their last Europa League group match but got a little bit of both sides of Liverpool instead. The Reds were in Switzerland to take on Sion. Both teams were very lackluster in the opening 45.
Liverpool pushed forward a few times and Divock Origi might have scored on the opening chance if he went for a header instead of lunging to get a foot on it. Outside of that, there was very little to speak of other than decent tactics. The second half seemed poised to be a little more entertaining with Sion needing to be more positive, given that their spot in the second round was in doubt if Liverpool scored and other results held. However, the chances for either side were few and far between.
Liverpool had a very good build up in the 54th minute only to have Firmino push it too far in front and lose possession - something he was guilty of for much of the game. Liverpool had another chance in the 70th minute where Origi got in behind enough to force the goalkeeper out. The keeper did get his right hand to the ball just enough to knock it away from the Belgian and Liverpool were unable to get enough support up to help finish it off. Sadly for the Reds, that was one of the last chances they would see.
One of the biggest bright spots, on a night where there wasn't a lot to discuss, was left back, Brad Smith. He set up the Origi chance early in the contest and nearly connected with his teammate again in the 84th minute. He was decent defensively and very good going forward. It might be nothing more than a good performance or he could be a player to watch for in the near future. If nothing else, the Australian definitely looks like he will be a physical force.
In the end, this game was little more than a training exercise. It was not completely worthless. You get valuable game time for younger players and players, such as Jordan Henderson, who are returning from injury. These are valuable in the sense that you're going against experienced players. Regardless of their talent level, Sion provides an opponent that isn't yourself. Training ground exercises and scrimmages can only do so much. Even academy and reserve games only prove so much. So, despite many fans' opinion that Europa League is a waste of time, it does provide valuable experience for players and valuable looks for the manager and staff.
On the flip side of that coin, Jurgen Klopp will eventually have to start prioritizing certain fixtures over the others. To this point, he has mainly used as strong a team as he possibly could in each game, while still being sensitive to potential injury issues. As the season progresses and Klopp gets his first taste of how busy English football gets during the holidays, he will need to learn that yes, you want to win every game but some are still more important than others.
This Europa season looks interesting going forward. Liverpool topped their group so are in a decent position if they choose to put full effort into the competition. That said, there are several name clubs that made the drop from Champions League to Europa. It could make for some interesting match ups in the knockout stage.
Random Thoughts:
- Firmino is a good example of several things. He is extremely frustrating. He shows you just enough to get excited and then completely disappears. He is also an example of what is wrong with modern football philosophy and the reaction of the fans. So often, players are not given time to grow. There are several players in the world that are just unable to perform on the biggest stages on the biggest clubs. Chicharito seems to be one of those. There are so many, though, that are given up on because they don't live up to expectations set by fans based on performances in different leagues. Scoring a ton of goals for a midtable team in Germany doesn't automatically transfer over to England because there is a different style within the leagues. But fans, and some managers, don't want to give the player time to grow or aren't allowed the give the player time because their job security doesn't allow it. Some players just need a season to learn and then can show what they truly will be in that setting.
- Not related to this game, but I've come to the realization that Liverpool have to give up on Daniel Sturridge. If they want to hold on to him as a sub or to use in a rotation or even to drive competition in the future for starting spots then fine. But they simply cannot believe he will ever be healthy for an entire season anymore and need to find a player that can start in his stead. This may not happen in the January window, but the combination of Sturridge's injuries and the inability of the wing players to be consistent forces Liverpool to again seek out a striker.
Walk On
Liverpool pushed forward a few times and Divock Origi might have scored on the opening chance if he went for a header instead of lunging to get a foot on it. Outside of that, there was very little to speak of other than decent tactics. The second half seemed poised to be a little more entertaining with Sion needing to be more positive, given that their spot in the second round was in doubt if Liverpool scored and other results held. However, the chances for either side were few and far between.
Liverpool had a very good build up in the 54th minute only to have Firmino push it too far in front and lose possession - something he was guilty of for much of the game. Liverpool had another chance in the 70th minute where Origi got in behind enough to force the goalkeeper out. The keeper did get his right hand to the ball just enough to knock it away from the Belgian and Liverpool were unable to get enough support up to help finish it off. Sadly for the Reds, that was one of the last chances they would see.
One of the biggest bright spots, on a night where there wasn't a lot to discuss, was left back, Brad Smith. He set up the Origi chance early in the contest and nearly connected with his teammate again in the 84th minute. He was decent defensively and very good going forward. It might be nothing more than a good performance or he could be a player to watch for in the near future. If nothing else, the Australian definitely looks like he will be a physical force.
In the end, this game was little more than a training exercise. It was not completely worthless. You get valuable game time for younger players and players, such as Jordan Henderson, who are returning from injury. These are valuable in the sense that you're going against experienced players. Regardless of their talent level, Sion provides an opponent that isn't yourself. Training ground exercises and scrimmages can only do so much. Even academy and reserve games only prove so much. So, despite many fans' opinion that Europa League is a waste of time, it does provide valuable experience for players and valuable looks for the manager and staff.
On the flip side of that coin, Jurgen Klopp will eventually have to start prioritizing certain fixtures over the others. To this point, he has mainly used as strong a team as he possibly could in each game, while still being sensitive to potential injury issues. As the season progresses and Klopp gets his first taste of how busy English football gets during the holidays, he will need to learn that yes, you want to win every game but some are still more important than others.
This Europa season looks interesting going forward. Liverpool topped their group so are in a decent position if they choose to put full effort into the competition. That said, there are several name clubs that made the drop from Champions League to Europa. It could make for some interesting match ups in the knockout stage.
Random Thoughts:
- Firmino is a good example of several things. He is extremely frustrating. He shows you just enough to get excited and then completely disappears. He is also an example of what is wrong with modern football philosophy and the reaction of the fans. So often, players are not given time to grow. There are several players in the world that are just unable to perform on the biggest stages on the biggest clubs. Chicharito seems to be one of those. There are so many, though, that are given up on because they don't live up to expectations set by fans based on performances in different leagues. Scoring a ton of goals for a midtable team in Germany doesn't automatically transfer over to England because there is a different style within the leagues. But fans, and some managers, don't want to give the player time to grow or aren't allowed the give the player time because their job security doesn't allow it. Some players just need a season to learn and then can show what they truly will be in that setting.
- Not related to this game, but I've come to the realization that Liverpool have to give up on Daniel Sturridge. If they want to hold on to him as a sub or to use in a rotation or even to drive competition in the future for starting spots then fine. But they simply cannot believe he will ever be healthy for an entire season anymore and need to find a player that can start in his stead. This may not happen in the January window, but the combination of Sturridge's injuries and the inability of the wing players to be consistent forces Liverpool to again seek out a striker.
Walk On
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