Nobody likes a replay. The players have to play a game that wasn't originally scheduled. Fans don't care for them because it's more money out of their pocket to buy tickets against teams they likely didn't want to see. It's possible that the networks don't even care for them because they have to scramble to sell advertising space that wasn't planned for as well. Nevertheless, a replay against Exeter at Anfield could not be avoided. It was a very bland start to the game for both clubs despite Liverpool enjoying much of the possession.
The Reds wouldn't take too long to net the first goal though. Brad Smith set up the eventual first goal quite nicely. Smith started the play by really stretching the opponent by taking up space in the wide areas. Then, he worked a nice one two with Christian Benteke and slotted it perfectly to a wide open Joe Allen in the 10th minute. It looked like LFC were ready to burst the game open, but that would not happen in the first half.
On the bright side, Benteke looked fairly good in the opening 25 minutes, but could not finish despite several header opportunities. What was positive about him, beyond the finishing, was his movement. He looked interested in the game instead of trying to blame his faults on his young teammates, which has become a bit of a habit of late. It was also nice to see Jodan Ibe try a couple shots from distance in the 39th minute instead of his usual Raheem Sterling-esque style of dribbling until space evaporates. The second opportunity from in the box might have been laid back for a cross but the idea wasn't terrible.
A repeat of Manchester United outcome was definitely in fans' minds given the amound of chances wasted, especially Benteke's shot right into the defender's feet in the 45th. Still, it was a decent first half of play for the Liverpool youngsters.
The second half was an interesting mix. Liverpool saw Jon Flanagan return in the 51st minute, though he wasn't called on to really do much. Then Ibe thought he had scored in the 54th minute on a blistering shot that rang off the crossbar and fell to the turf behind the line. However, with goal line technology it was all conjecture for fans and was rightly not given. Also, Liverpool as a club, regardless of age, continued their run of finishing or lack thereof as well.
Joao Teixeira took too long and was blocked in the 72nd minute and then the ensuing chances were a bit comical and ended with a slow roller off the foot of Sheyi Ojo that resulted in a training ground save. Ojo made up for the poor shoot with a fantastic one just minutes later. Just two touches into the box from the right side, Ojo put it on his left foot and just scooped it into the side netting. The Reds then put the final nail in the coffin in the 82nd minute. Benteke took on a couple defenders and peeled back. Then he slid a pinpoint pass to Teixeira who just bashed it past the keeper from about 7 yards.
In the end, it was what you would expect from a Liverpool standpoint. There weren't any mind-blowing moments, but Liverpool played more than well enough to get the victory. On the one hand, it continues to add fixtures to their schedule but if Jurgen Klopp continues to use the FA Cup as an opportunity for youth players and bench players, then it's not as much of an issue. Also a win is always a positive no matter the opponent and no matter who is on the field. This game in no way takes away the sting of the loss to Manchester United, but there were enough positives to at least smooth a few frazzled nerves.
Random Thoughts:
- Apologies for no write-up following the United clash. I had a fever, slept through the live game and didn't feel up to watching a 1-0 loss when I saw the score listed on social media.
- Fans always want wins, but this win over Exeter was nice because all the talking heads were saying Liverpool would get embarrassed if they played the youngsters again. It wasn't a flawless game, but I think 3-0 speaks for itself.
- Joe Allen is a scoring machine! Wait...what? Oh well. I'd still rather him not be on the field if given a better option, which is almost anyone.
- Is this game truly a breakthrough for Benteke? I highly doubt it. I want the striker to be successful at Liverpool, but I just don't know that he has the mentality. He really is becoming another Balotelli without the off-field problems. Simply an enigma.
- Good to see some people catching up to my take on Adam Lallana. A good article summed it up here: http://www.football365.com/news/16-conclusions-liverpool-0-1-man-united and even former Blue, Craig Burley had an opinon on Mr. Cruyff Turn that I agreed with. The talent is there, but living in St. Louis, I've seen talent be there for USL players too. That doesn't mean they know how to produce or are truly meant to play at the highest levels consistently.
- It's both a good and bad thing, but it's kind of a shame that left back might be the biggest position in terms of depth for Liverpool. Personally, despite some of his defensive faults, I have no problem with Alberto Moreno. Brad Smith has also shown that he could be very capable of making the first squad soon, now Flanagan has returned and I thought Joe Gomez was good in the role before injury as well.
- As I prepare for the inevitable firestorm of online reaction...I have no problem with extending Simon Mignolet's contract.
Walk On
Showing posts with label Exeter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exeter. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Liverpool's Youth Squad Salvage an FA Draw
While anyone could have excused Liverpool's youth infused lineup in any cup competition, it was frightening to see the extent the injury bug has actually forced Jurgen Klopp's hand. Christian Benteke was the only first squad player included in the starting XI. Despite this, the young team seemed to gel as the opening stages of the game went on. Unfortunately, some youthful mistakes cost the Reds.
Tom Nicoll finished off a great goal for Exeter after some breckdown on the left side of Liverpool's defense led to a cross. The Reds equalized only three minutes later when Jerome Sinclair found the back of the net on what would have been called a penalty if he had not scored. Liverpool had some back and forth after the quick burst of scoring.
As will happen with youth, they looked good at times and quite suspect at others. Joao Carlos Teixeira almost scored for Liverpool in the 17th minute. He made a good move but the ball got caught up between his feet and then his shot was blocked. Soon after, Exeter almost took the lead for a second time in the 30th minute when Noble put a chance over the bar and made a case for a penalty. Christian Ribero should have scored for the home side in the 41st minute as he failed to score on a header after he exposed the left side of the defense again. Unfortunately for the Reds, the cracks were too much to keep together for the full 45.
Lee Holmes gave Exeter the lead they may not have expected but probably deserved. Adam Bogdan received a bit of a bump that could have been called a foul, but the Liverpool goalkeeper should have done better. The ball sailed past his hand and into the upper corner on the near side as Bogdan looked around for the whistle that would never come.
Liverpool tried their best in the second half. Benteke was denied in the 51st minute after his powerful header was smartly saved by the Exeter goalkeeper. While the game wasn't the easiest on the eyes, it was good to see this young squad not giving up. They got their own just desserts in the 74th minute. A low cross from the recently inserted Ojo was cleared away from the six yard area but right to Brad Smith who banged it home for the 2-2 scoreline, which would be the final.
Teixeira could have scored in the 81st minute. He would have had a better chance if he one timed it but he elected to take a touch, which allowed the keeper to come out and cut off the angle. Alas, the result was exactly what nobody wanted. Exeter fans will feel it was an opportunity missed against an extremely weakened Liverpool squad. Liverpool will be happy with essentially their youth squad getting a result, but now another fixture is added to an already crowded schedule.
You'd like to see more from Benteke against a lesser opponent. Cases could be made to insert Adam Lallana in an effort to finish off the game to avoid the replay. However, the thing to take away from this contest is actually that Klopp has proven he can change. Klopp's biggest problem, if it can be said to be a problem, is that he wants to win everything. He hasn't prioritized any competition over the other. Whether it was his hand being forced or an actual decision he made, Klopp wisely changed his lineup. Whether he keeps the strategy going forward is up to him, but it's a good sign.
Random Thoughts:
- I have no problem with him as a person, but if Liverpool are forced to use Enrique at centerback in the league then they are in serious trouble. Lucas may be a better choice.
- The field was absolutely terrible. I actually don't fault the groundskeeper. I'm sure they have a limited budget to make repairs, if any. However, from a viewer aspect it was terrible and had to have made for a bad match. I've seen better fields back when I played CYC.
- Strikers are a precious commodity and Liverpool have none in the cupboard. While Benteke could work extremely well with Daniel Sturridge, the latter's injury problems could force the big Belgian's departure from the team. Today's game also showed that the Reds don't have any true strikers coming through the pipeline either.
Tom Nicoll finished off a great goal for Exeter after some breckdown on the left side of Liverpool's defense led to a cross. The Reds equalized only three minutes later when Jerome Sinclair found the back of the net on what would have been called a penalty if he had not scored. Liverpool had some back and forth after the quick burst of scoring.
As will happen with youth, they looked good at times and quite suspect at others. Joao Carlos Teixeira almost scored for Liverpool in the 17th minute. He made a good move but the ball got caught up between his feet and then his shot was blocked. Soon after, Exeter almost took the lead for a second time in the 30th minute when Noble put a chance over the bar and made a case for a penalty. Christian Ribero should have scored for the home side in the 41st minute as he failed to score on a header after he exposed the left side of the defense again. Unfortunately for the Reds, the cracks were too much to keep together for the full 45.
Lee Holmes gave Exeter the lead they may not have expected but probably deserved. Adam Bogdan received a bit of a bump that could have been called a foul, but the Liverpool goalkeeper should have done better. The ball sailed past his hand and into the upper corner on the near side as Bogdan looked around for the whistle that would never come.
Liverpool tried their best in the second half. Benteke was denied in the 51st minute after his powerful header was smartly saved by the Exeter goalkeeper. While the game wasn't the easiest on the eyes, it was good to see this young squad not giving up. They got their own just desserts in the 74th minute. A low cross from the recently inserted Ojo was cleared away from the six yard area but right to Brad Smith who banged it home for the 2-2 scoreline, which would be the final.
Teixeira could have scored in the 81st minute. He would have had a better chance if he one timed it but he elected to take a touch, which allowed the keeper to come out and cut off the angle. Alas, the result was exactly what nobody wanted. Exeter fans will feel it was an opportunity missed against an extremely weakened Liverpool squad. Liverpool will be happy with essentially their youth squad getting a result, but now another fixture is added to an already crowded schedule.
You'd like to see more from Benteke against a lesser opponent. Cases could be made to insert Adam Lallana in an effort to finish off the game to avoid the replay. However, the thing to take away from this contest is actually that Klopp has proven he can change. Klopp's biggest problem, if it can be said to be a problem, is that he wants to win everything. He hasn't prioritized any competition over the other. Whether it was his hand being forced or an actual decision he made, Klopp wisely changed his lineup. Whether he keeps the strategy going forward is up to him, but it's a good sign.
Random Thoughts:
- I have no problem with him as a person, but if Liverpool are forced to use Enrique at centerback in the league then they are in serious trouble. Lucas may be a better choice.
- The field was absolutely terrible. I actually don't fault the groundskeeper. I'm sure they have a limited budget to make repairs, if any. However, from a viewer aspect it was terrible and had to have made for a bad match. I've seen better fields back when I played CYC.
- Strikers are a precious commodity and Liverpool have none in the cupboard. While Benteke could work extremely well with Daniel Sturridge, the latter's injury problems could force the big Belgian's departure from the team. Today's game also showed that the Reds don't have any true strikers coming through the pipeline either.
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