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 Steven Gerrard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Gerrard. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Gerrard Farewell Spoiled by Liverpool Defense
It was supposed to be the perfect send off for a club legend. It was supposed to be a tearful, heartfealt goodbye to the man who had stuck by the club through thick and thin when greener pastures were readily available. Instead, the same old problems reared their ugly head and spoiled the occasion. Steven Gerrard was even pushed forward, trying to come up with that magic moment he has become synonymous with. It was not meant to be.
Liverpool looked great out of the gate. The team was fresh, cohesive and on point. The passing was good and the team was dominant. Liverpool looked like they would rule the day. Midway through the first half, the Reds were controlling 80% of the possession. By the end of the match, Liverpool still held the edge in possession 66% to 34%. Unfortunately, it led to nothing.
Adam Lallana gave the Reds hope that the sunny day would end with a glowing finish. Lallana knicked away a poor pass from former Liverpool defender, Martin Kelly, raced past Scott Dann and then flipped one just over goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Lallana went straight for the team captain to celebrate and embraced his leader tightly. Alas, it was to be the last true bright spot for Liverpool for the rest of the match.
Despite chances and possession, Liverpool failed to create and capitalize. Crystal Palace poached the equalizer just before the half. The Reds gave up an ill advised foul close to the penalty area just two minutes before the break. Jason Puncheon went over the wall and far post, putting it in the back of the net. Simon Mingolet, perhaps having scouted Puncheon's last free kick attempt took a step to the near post right off the kick, leaving him no chance to recover once the ball went the other way.
Wilfried Zaha, the former Manchester United foe, turned out to be a thorn in the side of his rival again. Only 22 seconds after coming onto the pitch, Zaha struck and Liverpool conceded. Down 2-1 for most of the second half, Liverpool tried to push forward. They moved Gerrard into an attacking position and put on Rickie Lambert in an attempt to spur the offense. Emre Can was given more leway to venture upfield as well. It was for naught though as the club either fumbled away decent chances or passed the ball too many times instead of looking for a shot.
Palace put the nail in the coffin in extra time. The spoilers were wrongly awarded a penalty kick when Lucas fouled Zaha just outside the box. Glenn Murray's spot kick was neatly saved by Simon Mingolet, but the Belgian was given no help on the rebound attempt and Murray slotted it just past Mingolet's outstretched left foot.
Liverpool, for a second season, failed to fully show up against Crystal Palace in a late season match. Excluding a cup match, Liverpool are now 0-1-2 in their last few league games against Palace. The Eagles have looked most comfortable in spoiling Liverpool's party the last few seasons. Again, the lack of a true scorer cost the Reds. Though it was almost impossible, the loss also officially eliminates Liverpool from Champions League football next season. Just another grain of salt in the wound.
Ultimately this game is just another example of the changes that need to be made to this club. There was really little to play for, outside of pride and to send Gerrard off the Anfield pitch with a fond memory. Liverpool failed to do that and just about everyone on the pitch failed to prove that they are assured of a place in the team next season. Big changes are in store for the club in red next year. Unfortunately, regardless of the talent they may bring in, there will still be a huge hole. That hole will be in the shape of a number 8. Leadership is a value that is hard to recruit and hopefully someone can at least partially fill those large shoes.
Walk On.
Liverpool looked great out of the gate. The team was fresh, cohesive and on point. The passing was good and the team was dominant. Liverpool looked like they would rule the day. Midway through the first half, the Reds were controlling 80% of the possession. By the end of the match, Liverpool still held the edge in possession 66% to 34%. Unfortunately, it led to nothing.
Adam Lallana gave the Reds hope that the sunny day would end with a glowing finish. Lallana knicked away a poor pass from former Liverpool defender, Martin Kelly, raced past Scott Dann and then flipped one just over goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Lallana went straight for the team captain to celebrate and embraced his leader tightly. Alas, it was to be the last true bright spot for Liverpool for the rest of the match.
Despite chances and possession, Liverpool failed to create and capitalize. Crystal Palace poached the equalizer just before the half. The Reds gave up an ill advised foul close to the penalty area just two minutes before the break. Jason Puncheon went over the wall and far post, putting it in the back of the net. Simon Mingolet, perhaps having scouted Puncheon's last free kick attempt took a step to the near post right off the kick, leaving him no chance to recover once the ball went the other way.
Wilfried Zaha, the former Manchester United foe, turned out to be a thorn in the side of his rival again. Only 22 seconds after coming onto the pitch, Zaha struck and Liverpool conceded. Down 2-1 for most of the second half, Liverpool tried to push forward. They moved Gerrard into an attacking position and put on Rickie Lambert in an attempt to spur the offense. Emre Can was given more leway to venture upfield as well. It was for naught though as the club either fumbled away decent chances or passed the ball too many times instead of looking for a shot.
Palace put the nail in the coffin in extra time. The spoilers were wrongly awarded a penalty kick when Lucas fouled Zaha just outside the box. Glenn Murray's spot kick was neatly saved by Simon Mingolet, but the Belgian was given no help on the rebound attempt and Murray slotted it just past Mingolet's outstretched left foot.
Liverpool, for a second season, failed to fully show up against Crystal Palace in a late season match. Excluding a cup match, Liverpool are now 0-1-2 in their last few league games against Palace. The Eagles have looked most comfortable in spoiling Liverpool's party the last few seasons. Again, the lack of a true scorer cost the Reds. Though it was almost impossible, the loss also officially eliminates Liverpool from Champions League football next season. Just another grain of salt in the wound.
Ultimately this game is just another example of the changes that need to be made to this club. There was really little to play for, outside of pride and to send Gerrard off the Anfield pitch with a fond memory. Liverpool failed to do that and just about everyone on the pitch failed to prove that they are assured of a place in the team next season. Big changes are in store for the club in red next year. Unfortunately, regardless of the talent they may bring in, there will still be a huge hole. That hole will be in the shape of a number 8. Leadership is a value that is hard to recruit and hopefully someone can at least partially fill those large shoes.
Walk On.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Good Result Not Enough
Hopefully all the mothers out there are having or have had a great Mother's Day. The mothers of the Liverpool players will be proud of their sons. They gave a good effort, for the most part, in an always difficult road match against Chelsea. There were lots of storylines heading into this one. Steven Gerrard's last trip to Stamford Bridge, the master manager against his former pupil, Chelsea closing out the championship the week prior and Liverpool essentially needing a win to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
The match opened up inauspiciously for Liverpool, as the bane of the club reared its head. Set pieces have long been a point of contention for this team and again it led to a goal. This time off a corner kick. John Terry, the old adversary, peeled his way back from the crowd and jumped over Rickie Lambert and nodded it past Simon Mingolet and Steven Gerrard, who was on the near post. Though no one could really blame Gerrard for not getting a foot on it, it was just another pinch of salt in the wounds that Chelsea love to rub so vigorously.
Despite the poor start, Liverpool actually enjoyed a good deal of possession and attack. Unfortunately for them, the Blues' defense was too well organized for much of the half and really the game overall. Liverpool poked and prodded, seeked and searched to no avail for much of the opening 45. It was not until late in the half that the skies would brighten for the Reds fortunes.
As if to say he was not about to let his legacy end at Stamford Bridge with the slip that played a part in Liverpool's downfall last season, Steven Gerrard rose up. The captain, admittedly with the aide of a slight push, found himself wide open on the back post of Liverpool's own corner kick. The equalizer came in the 44th minute after Gerrard neatly headed the ball down into the pitch and it bounded just past Tibault Courtois and into the net. For a player that has had his struggles with fitness, fan appreciation and on-field play this season, it was a far better memory to leave Chelsea with than last season's end. Gerrard even received a rare standing ovation from the road fans when he was subbed out.
Sadly, his heroics were ultimately for naught. Liverpool and Chelsea turned into Mayweather and Paquiao for the second half, mainly content to lunge forward on occasion but mainly coming to nothing. Liverpool only put four shots on target all game and their opponents, only three. Hardly the stuff of attacking legends. It was a bittersweet result due to the fact that if you asked anyone mid-season, if they would take a 1-1 draw in Chelsea's home stadium, only a food would not.
Alas, for Liverpool, while the result was good for form, it was not good enough to save their last remaining goal for the season. While the Reds have had glimpses and flashes of the team of last season, ultimately they are left wondering how it all went so poorly. A fifth place finish, in one of the most competitive leagues in the world would be nothing to scoff at, but is a bitter pill to swallow. The pill is extra bitter when you come to the realization that nothing was accomplished. Champions League, although mathematically still alive, is gone. Another season will pass without silverware, even though the club got to the semi-finals in two competitions. Also, another season goes by without a league title. All were goals set at the beginning of the year, all seemed plausible and now all are simply dust in the wind.
The club must now look to the future, while honoring the past. Gerrard will most likely get a grand send off in his final game at Anfield in a week's time. Liverpool's last two games are certainly winnable and, at this stage, you may as well look to finish with as many points as possible. The dreams of the year may be gone, but fans still have two more weeks to enjoy and that's better than nothing at all.
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.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
The Season That Got Away?
Hopes ran incredibly high for Liverpool Football Club coming into this season. In reality, it was never going to be easy with lots of new faces and the gaping hole left on the score sheet by the sale of Luis Suarez. However, it was impossible to contain the enthusiasm of the supporters after nearly ending the long drought of a league title the year prior. As the year progressed though, that enthusiasm has turned to exasperation as the Reds' fans have seen their team falter and slip on multiple occasions this year.
Liverpool came out positively in the FA Cup semifinal against Aston Villa. They enjoyed the better of the possession in the first half and pushed forward a decent amount, although the chances weren't always there. Aston Villa did have their own opportunities to go forward as well, though despite the announcers claim that they deserved better, Villa's opportunities came only due to Liverpool's lack of cohesive defending.
Liverpool even took the lead in the match as well. The Reds did not dominate the way they should have, but they made enough of possession for much of the first half. Steven Gerrard's tackle in the midfield led to possession. The ball pinged around the midfield players, including Jordan Henderson and Lazar Markovic, before Raheem Sterling laid it back to Coutinho. Coutinho ran onto the ball, took a shot that was deflected by defender Jores Okore and the ball hit the back of the net.
That was the last good run of form for the club the rest of the afternoon. The goal was created by the hole left by injured Nathan Baker, but Liverpool failed to take advantage again. Okore did settle in after creating the deficit, but Liverpool did little to bother the back line of the Villans. Aston Villa did do plenty to bother Liverpool's back line though.
Christian Benteke, the in-form striker in England, was the man to knot it up. Benteke was left reasonably unmarked in the 36th minute. Villa found him after slicing through Liverpool's defenses and he was not about to miss. The game was tied at the half and many suspected there would be changes to the Liverpool XI and they were right. However those changes proved to change little, if anything about this lackluster performance.
Mario Balotelli was brought on right out of the tunnel for Lazar Markovic, who was invisible during his 45 minutes on the pitch. Balotelli's inclusion, pushed Gerrard back into a defensive role after the captain did nothing in his time spent on the attack. Later in the half, Glen Johnson was subbed in for Joe Allen, in a bit of a head scratcher, since the Liverpool attack was the side of the game that seemed to really be suffering.
The changes, whether tactical or via substitution, did nothing to change the outcome of the game. Aston Villa managed the game winner nine minutes after the half. The Villans once again carved up the Liverpool defense and Fabian Delph took care of his business. Liverpool did try their best to create chances late on in the match, but it was too little too late.
Steven Gerrard had a pair of free kicks that were sent straight at the keeper. Mario Balotelli failed to cleanly settle the ball in the 60th minute, on the edge of the box, that could have led to a solid chance. Gerrard had an excellent chance on a head ball that seemed to be going in only to have it headed away by the defender placed on the back post. Balotelli charged forward quite often, but could do nothing in the end to change the fate of the Reds. Fittingly the match ended with a blast from Dejan Lovren that went about 10 yards off target.
There will be no miraculous ending to Steven Gerrard's chapter of the long story in Liverpool history. The Reds now have no chance at any silverware this season despite making the semifinals of both the league and domestic cups. The chance at European football is also slipping away as Liverpool's league form has faltered at the worst possible moment as well. A season that started with so much promise has melted into an amalgam of despair and anger for all parties involved.
Perhaps this team will prove its detractors wrong. Perhaps they will rally themselves in the league and sneak into the top four before the season's end. Perhaps. More likely is that all dreams of any tangible positives for this season have been dashed like waking from a dream. Time will tell. Regardless, the players on this team have to prove that they belong in a Liverpool shirt because as of right now massive changes could be on the way unless things radically change.
Random Thoughts:
- Gerrard settled into the match late on, but was non-existent for most of it. Say what you will about lack of playing time in recent months or injury or constant shifting of position, Gerrard simply was not the player we have become accustomed to seeing. Fox Sports' Warren Barton put it very well - it is simply time for Gerrard to move on. He does not provide enough in attack and is too slow in defense. Nothing can take away from anyone's memories of his spectacular play over the course of his career and this was not the way anyone hoped he would leave. However, his best days in the Premier League have faded into memory and the move to MLS looks like the best choice to be made each time.
- Linesmen need a refresher in what is offside. Aston Villa, honestly, deserved to win that match but Liverpool were robbed of an equalizer by the incorrect offside call in the 89th minute. Some may argue that the defenders may not have let up a step had the flag not gone up, but as it stands, Mario Balotelli was not offside and ended up slotting the ball into the back of the goal. Unfortunately, it was called offside and the result is a loss.
Walk On
Liverpool came out positively in the FA Cup semifinal against Aston Villa. They enjoyed the better of the possession in the first half and pushed forward a decent amount, although the chances weren't always there. Aston Villa did have their own opportunities to go forward as well, though despite the announcers claim that they deserved better, Villa's opportunities came only due to Liverpool's lack of cohesive defending.
Liverpool even took the lead in the match as well. The Reds did not dominate the way they should have, but they made enough of possession for much of the first half. Steven Gerrard's tackle in the midfield led to possession. The ball pinged around the midfield players, including Jordan Henderson and Lazar Markovic, before Raheem Sterling laid it back to Coutinho. Coutinho ran onto the ball, took a shot that was deflected by defender Jores Okore and the ball hit the back of the net.
That was the last good run of form for the club the rest of the afternoon. The goal was created by the hole left by injured Nathan Baker, but Liverpool failed to take advantage again. Okore did settle in after creating the deficit, but Liverpool did little to bother the back line of the Villans. Aston Villa did do plenty to bother Liverpool's back line though.
Christian Benteke, the in-form striker in England, was the man to knot it up. Benteke was left reasonably unmarked in the 36th minute. Villa found him after slicing through Liverpool's defenses and he was not about to miss. The game was tied at the half and many suspected there would be changes to the Liverpool XI and they were right. However those changes proved to change little, if anything about this lackluster performance.
Mario Balotelli was brought on right out of the tunnel for Lazar Markovic, who was invisible during his 45 minutes on the pitch. Balotelli's inclusion, pushed Gerrard back into a defensive role after the captain did nothing in his time spent on the attack. Later in the half, Glen Johnson was subbed in for Joe Allen, in a bit of a head scratcher, since the Liverpool attack was the side of the game that seemed to really be suffering.
The changes, whether tactical or via substitution, did nothing to change the outcome of the game. Aston Villa managed the game winner nine minutes after the half. The Villans once again carved up the Liverpool defense and Fabian Delph took care of his business. Liverpool did try their best to create chances late on in the match, but it was too little too late.
Steven Gerrard had a pair of free kicks that were sent straight at the keeper. Mario Balotelli failed to cleanly settle the ball in the 60th minute, on the edge of the box, that could have led to a solid chance. Gerrard had an excellent chance on a head ball that seemed to be going in only to have it headed away by the defender placed on the back post. Balotelli charged forward quite often, but could do nothing in the end to change the fate of the Reds. Fittingly the match ended with a blast from Dejan Lovren that went about 10 yards off target.
There will be no miraculous ending to Steven Gerrard's chapter of the long story in Liverpool history. The Reds now have no chance at any silverware this season despite making the semifinals of both the league and domestic cups. The chance at European football is also slipping away as Liverpool's league form has faltered at the worst possible moment as well. A season that started with so much promise has melted into an amalgam of despair and anger for all parties involved.
Perhaps this team will prove its detractors wrong. Perhaps they will rally themselves in the league and sneak into the top four before the season's end. Perhaps. More likely is that all dreams of any tangible positives for this season have been dashed like waking from a dream. Time will tell. Regardless, the players on this team have to prove that they belong in a Liverpool shirt because as of right now massive changes could be on the way unless things radically change.
Random Thoughts:
- Gerrard settled into the match late on, but was non-existent for most of it. Say what you will about lack of playing time in recent months or injury or constant shifting of position, Gerrard simply was not the player we have become accustomed to seeing. Fox Sports' Warren Barton put it very well - it is simply time for Gerrard to move on. He does not provide enough in attack and is too slow in defense. Nothing can take away from anyone's memories of his spectacular play over the course of his career and this was not the way anyone hoped he would leave. However, his best days in the Premier League have faded into memory and the move to MLS looks like the best choice to be made each time.
- Linesmen need a refresher in what is offside. Aston Villa, honestly, deserved to win that match but Liverpool were robbed of an equalizer by the incorrect offside call in the 89th minute. Some may argue that the defenders may not have let up a step had the flag not gone up, but as it stands, Mario Balotelli was not offside and ended up slotting the ball into the back of the goal. Unfortunately, it was called offside and the result is a loss.
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.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Liverpool Earn Wembley Appearance
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.
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.
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, March 22, 2015
Madness and Missed Chances Doom Reds
We all knew that the undefeated streak probably would not last the rest of the season. We all knew that a poor performance was bound to come. Supporters just hoped that it would not come against their hated rival, Manchester United. Unfortunately for them and the team, it did.
Liverpool came out of the gates and never really found their footing. The Reds were on their heels from the word go. Credit does have to go to the Red Devils of Manchester United as well. They came out and dominated the match. They implemented their game plan and did not allow Liverpool into the match, regardless of the Red's form. They were strong on the ball. Manchester dominated possession. They closed down every lost ball and were physically imposing on the smaller Liverpool squad.
Credit given, Liverpool did not do enough to affect the game. Alberto Moreno was absolutely horrible in this game. His passes were off the mark consistently in the opening 15 minutes. He gave the ball away in key areas. He was lackadaisical getting back on defense. Really, the only positive he put forth was his attacking speed.
Rarely, if ever do I put blame with any one player and you cannot do so here. However, Moreno can be put at fault during both goals, which does not help his case. Moreno had a giveaway near the sideline that gave possession to United, which they ended up turning into the first goal for Juan Mata. Then, upon reviewing the play, Moreno lost his marker - again Mata - who recieved a cheeky little chip over the defensive line and was coolly finished off by Mata with a sparking side volley.
As I mentioned, blame cannot solely be placed on one player. Daniel Sturridge did little to affect the game, other than blasting the ball past David De Gea to give the team life with around 20 minutes to play. Raheem Sterling saw little of the ball and when he did, he just did not have that extra burst or nice touch to really get himself into space. Coutinho had a couple flashes, but nothing that really tested the opponents. Adam Lallana played ok, but failed to equalize the game in the 36th minute which would have completely altered the game. Again, United did an excellent job of shutting down the Liverpool attackers, but the Reds themselves did not do enough to really turn up the pressure either.
The really disappointing portion of the match came just after half time. Everyone that saw the match, knows. Liverpool's captain, their leader made a huge mistake that he even admitted played a huge role in costing his team the game. Steven Gerrard came on for Adam Lallana at half-time and made several positive passes in his opening 30 seconds in the match. However, two sliding tackles made on the captain apparently got under his skin and the second one earned a stomp on the lower shin of Ander Herrera.
It was a moment of madness. Any of us who have played have experienced it - that point where the blood just hits the boiling point and the primal urges override our normal brain functions. At the highest level, in a match of such importance one would just expect better of a player so experienced in just those situations. What made matters worse, if that is even possible after putting your team down by a man, is the fact that it occurred so soon. Only 33 seconds of clock had elapsed by the time Gerrard was sent to the locker room.
Liverpool fans are left to ponder what kind of impact their longtime captain might have had if he kept his cool. Supporters are left to wonder what changes may have happened. Would Manchester United's second goal have come? Would Gerrard have directed traffic well enough to avert the tally? Would he have orchestrated a more well organized attack and allowed the Reds to take hold of the half? We'll never know.
It was an all-around performance by Liverpool, which fans have become accustomed to. Unfortunately, it was not the kind of all-around performance they are used to seeing. Instead of the entire team playing well and pressing the issue, the entire team played poorly and had their part to play in the team losing. Fans can, and certainly will, point to the Lallana miss (which would have been the goal to keep it tied given the way everything played out) or the yellow card that could have been red on Phil Jones as things that did not go in their favor. They will look to the ineffectiveness of the attack. Ultimately, the team as a whole did not do enough to deserve the win.
The season is not over. Liverpool remain in fifth spot and the top four is not out of reach. Important games remain, including another important one on the road against Arsenal in two weeks. Liverpool may benefit from an extra week of rest and training. Regardless, they must regroup. They have not tasted defeat in the league since December 14, against the very same team. This loss will taste extra bitter for the team and sting a little longer for the fans given what might have been. However, as their famous anthem states: Though your dreams be tossed and blown, Walk on with hope in your heart. Brighter days are ahead.
Random Thoughts:
- Brendan Rodgers has to find a way to get the scoring touch back. Daniel Sturridge has managed to score some goals, but he simply isn't the player he was last year yet. The team was flying high with Sterling at the top of the spear, so to speak, and hasn't quite acclimated to Sturridge being up there. As a complimentary point, Sterling looks lost at times as a wing back. He gives constant effort, but he needs to be up top. Lallana is skilled, but I really don't understand why he is not playing wing back with a top three of Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge.
- I really cannot stand Merouane Fallaini. The guy has talent, no doubt, but I honestly think I would be sick to my stomach if Liverpool ever signed him. I do not like his demeanor, the way he carries himself or his reactions any time he is touched.
- Thank goodness for Simon Mingolet's return to form. As a keeper, I know stopping a penalty takes more luck than skill. However, seeing him keep Wayne Rooney scoreless at Anfield in ten years, on a penalty kick of all things, was a lone bright spot in an otherwise depressing game.
- It's a good thing Liverpool will get an extra week to think things over. They will be without Steven Gerrard for sure and, given the recent suspensions around the league, will be without the services of Martin Skrtel as well. Those are key cogs to this squad, so other players are going to have to step up to keep one loss from spiraling into more.
- He is no Steven Gerrard, in skill or leadership, but it was good to see Lucas in the lineup once again. He will be needed during the absence of Gerrard for sure. That excitement was tempered by the sight of Lucas next to Glen Johnson though.
Walk On
Liverpool came out of the gates and never really found their footing. The Reds were on their heels from the word go. Credit does have to go to the Red Devils of Manchester United as well. They came out and dominated the match. They implemented their game plan and did not allow Liverpool into the match, regardless of the Red's form. They were strong on the ball. Manchester dominated possession. They closed down every lost ball and were physically imposing on the smaller Liverpool squad.
Credit given, Liverpool did not do enough to affect the game. Alberto Moreno was absolutely horrible in this game. His passes were off the mark consistently in the opening 15 minutes. He gave the ball away in key areas. He was lackadaisical getting back on defense. Really, the only positive he put forth was his attacking speed.
Rarely, if ever do I put blame with any one player and you cannot do so here. However, Moreno can be put at fault during both goals, which does not help his case. Moreno had a giveaway near the sideline that gave possession to United, which they ended up turning into the first goal for Juan Mata. Then, upon reviewing the play, Moreno lost his marker - again Mata - who recieved a cheeky little chip over the defensive line and was coolly finished off by Mata with a sparking side volley.
As I mentioned, blame cannot solely be placed on one player. Daniel Sturridge did little to affect the game, other than blasting the ball past David De Gea to give the team life with around 20 minutes to play. Raheem Sterling saw little of the ball and when he did, he just did not have that extra burst or nice touch to really get himself into space. Coutinho had a couple flashes, but nothing that really tested the opponents. Adam Lallana played ok, but failed to equalize the game in the 36th minute which would have completely altered the game. Again, United did an excellent job of shutting down the Liverpool attackers, but the Reds themselves did not do enough to really turn up the pressure either.
The really disappointing portion of the match came just after half time. Everyone that saw the match, knows. Liverpool's captain, their leader made a huge mistake that he even admitted played a huge role in costing his team the game. Steven Gerrard came on for Adam Lallana at half-time and made several positive passes in his opening 30 seconds in the match. However, two sliding tackles made on the captain apparently got under his skin and the second one earned a stomp on the lower shin of Ander Herrera.
It was a moment of madness. Any of us who have played have experienced it - that point where the blood just hits the boiling point and the primal urges override our normal brain functions. At the highest level, in a match of such importance one would just expect better of a player so experienced in just those situations. What made matters worse, if that is even possible after putting your team down by a man, is the fact that it occurred so soon. Only 33 seconds of clock had elapsed by the time Gerrard was sent to the locker room.
Liverpool fans are left to ponder what kind of impact their longtime captain might have had if he kept his cool. Supporters are left to wonder what changes may have happened. Would Manchester United's second goal have come? Would Gerrard have directed traffic well enough to avert the tally? Would he have orchestrated a more well organized attack and allowed the Reds to take hold of the half? We'll never know.
It was an all-around performance by Liverpool, which fans have become accustomed to. Unfortunately, it was not the kind of all-around performance they are used to seeing. Instead of the entire team playing well and pressing the issue, the entire team played poorly and had their part to play in the team losing. Fans can, and certainly will, point to the Lallana miss (which would have been the goal to keep it tied given the way everything played out) or the yellow card that could have been red on Phil Jones as things that did not go in their favor. They will look to the ineffectiveness of the attack. Ultimately, the team as a whole did not do enough to deserve the win.
The season is not over. Liverpool remain in fifth spot and the top four is not out of reach. Important games remain, including another important one on the road against Arsenal in two weeks. Liverpool may benefit from an extra week of rest and training. Regardless, they must regroup. They have not tasted defeat in the league since December 14, against the very same team. This loss will taste extra bitter for the team and sting a little longer for the fans given what might have been. However, as their famous anthem states: Though your dreams be tossed and blown, Walk on with hope in your heart. Brighter days are ahead.
Random Thoughts:
- Brendan Rodgers has to find a way to get the scoring touch back. Daniel Sturridge has managed to score some goals, but he simply isn't the player he was last year yet. The team was flying high with Sterling at the top of the spear, so to speak, and hasn't quite acclimated to Sturridge being up there. As a complimentary point, Sterling looks lost at times as a wing back. He gives constant effort, but he needs to be up top. Lallana is skilled, but I really don't understand why he is not playing wing back with a top three of Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge.
- I really cannot stand Merouane Fallaini. The guy has talent, no doubt, but I honestly think I would be sick to my stomach if Liverpool ever signed him. I do not like his demeanor, the way he carries himself or his reactions any time he is touched.
- Thank goodness for Simon Mingolet's return to form. As a keeper, I know stopping a penalty takes more luck than skill. However, seeing him keep Wayne Rooney scoreless at Anfield in ten years, on a penalty kick of all things, was a lone bright spot in an otherwise depressing game.
- It's a good thing Liverpool will get an extra week to think things over. They will be without Steven Gerrard for sure and, given the recent suspensions around the league, will be without the services of Martin Skrtel as well. Those are key cogs to this squad, so other players are going to have to step up to keep one loss from spiraling into more.
- He is no Steven Gerrard, in skill or leadership, but it was good to see Lucas in the lineup once again. He will be needed during the absence of Gerrard for sure. That excitement was tempered by the sight of Lucas next to Glen Johnson though.
Walk On
Monday, March 16, 2015
Sometimes Lucky is Better Than Good
A win is a win is a win. That's what Liverpool fans must tell themselves after a somewhat frightful performance against Swansea. Liverpool were playing in their first Premier League match in what seemed like forever - in reality it had only been 12 days. Swansea, by no means are a pushover. They are not considered by any as a top team in the league but they do have solid players at many positions and are currently in 9th place.
This match was seemingly well set up for Liverpool. They had their captain, Steven Gerrard returning to the lineup, if not the starting XI. They were well rested with eight days between matches. All the important pieces to the team were fully fit or at least approaching that status. The team was unbeaten in March, with the only blemish the last few months coming in the Europa League against Besiktas.
Funny how things don't always work out the way you might plan. Liverpool created a decent chance with a shot straight at the keeper by Adam Lallana in the first five minutes, but were nowhere to be found offensively for the rest of the opening 45. Full credit does need to go to Swansea as they were sharp on the ball, good defensively and created chances. However, Liverpool were very sloppy on the ball - especially in the final third - and lacked much passion or enthusiasm for the game in the opening half.
It was very reminiscent of the terrible fixture against Burnley, eight days prior. Liverpool were not sharp and allowed an inferior opponent to employ their gameplan to good effect. They let their recent cup form bleed into the Premier League, which hasn't happened in some time. The Reds were extremely fortunate to be level at the break as Simon Mingolet was called on several times to bail out his squad.
Mingolet made a fine diving save on Bafetimbi Gomis, stretching out to his right on a ball slid nicely on the ground - a save which is incredibly difficult for keepers, which always begs the question of why people don't shoot on the ground more often. Then later in the half, the Belgian was called upon again, this time diving spectacularly through the air to the left and parrying away the curling shot by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
They were incredibly important saves, not only to keep the game level but to really prove that Mingolet's form had returned. The Belgian international would probably have conceded both chances early in the season. Instead, Mingolet has regained his confidence and looks very headstrong and confident on all balls he attempts for. Even manager Brendan Rodgers agreed. "He's been outstanding. We needed him first half," said the Irishman. "We were still in the game because of [him]. He's been excellent. As I said, the team suffered at the beginning of the season, but clearly now you see his confidence along with the team's."
Mingolet kept the team in the game the first half, but Liverpool needed better in the second and got it. Their chances were still limited, but the Reds did a much better job of stringing passes together. They were cooler on the ball and found the open spaces. One thing they did do well at the end of the first half, was work the ball side to side to tire out Swansea which paid off in the second.
Ultimately though, the Reds were extremely lucky to get the win. Jordan Henderson scored the lone goal of the match with pure hustle and no skill. Martin Skrtel played a very nice through ball, deflected by Daniel Sturridge, into a hole in the defense. Henderson charged it down and had the defender's sliding clearance deflect off his leg and over the top of the keeper Fabianski. It was a goal that provided both relief and comedy to Reds' supporters as they got the goal they needed, but had it come at the expense of a team that deserved a result from the way they played.
Sturridge did almost score at the end of the match, failing to get that final curl on a right footed shot that dinked off the far right post, but really even with their improved play, Liverpool did not create enough to fully deserve the win that came anyway. In the end though, when a season ends, nobody remembers how the wins came as long as they came.
Liverpool have kept themselves in an enviable position within the table. Despite remaining in fifth place, the Reds are only two points behind Manchester United and three behind Arsenal with fixtures coming up against both over the next two weeks. If Liverpool stay on form and get a bit of luck from other games, they could honestly climb as high as 2nd in the table by season's end. Top four is still the goal, but last year proved that you never know which clubs slip up - no pun intended - at the wrong times.
Random thoughts:
- Raheem Sterling needs to sign the contract. I don't know what figures have officially been offered, but as good as the young man is he still has learning to do. Liverpool are better equipped to allow that to happen and learning under Brendan Rodgers is the better place to do it rather than the superclubs where he would only be the 4th or 5th best player and yanked out of the lineup as soon as a bit of bad form crept in. All the pundits said today, and I agree, that Sterling will get even bigger money down the road when he earns it, but shouldn't be chasing only dollar signs right now (or pounds or Euros as the case may be).
- Where is Mario? Again, I realize that I am one of the lone voices in this camp, but I don't understand why Balotelli fails to really get a game after scoring two important goals for the team. By no means has he earned anything close to a starting position, but other than being a childhood fan, Rickie Lambert has done even less to be in the team sheet through my eyes. I wish I could see what Rodgers sees in training to make these decisions. C'est la vie.
- It's been amazing to see the downfall of Manchester City in recent weeks. Less than a month ago, City and Chelsea were almost assured of being the top two clubs at the end of the season. Now, through bad form or bad luck, City have opened up the entire thing. It would be an amazing turn of events, given the form of Liverpool and Arsenal and United's penchant for getting points regardless of form, to see City fall completely out of the top four after having the second spot almost locked up not long ago.
- Despite the good form of Joe Allen recently and my affection for Brendan Rodgers, I disagree that Gerrard has not earned the right to be placed back into the starting lineup as soon as he returned to fitness. Again, Allen played well but you could just see the team light up when their leader returned to the field. Gerrard has lost a big step in terms of pace, but he makes up for it with his touch and pure leadership on the pitch.
- I love Daniel Sturridge. He is and will be incredibly important to Liverpool's chances of doing good things the rest of the season. However, after his initial two games returning from injury, he seems to have gotten worse each game. He shies away from any contact. He doesn't chase down balls unless he knows, with all certainty, that he will track it down. His shot has been lacking and doesn't seem to be getting into those intuitive areas that will lead to goals. He really could've used that last ball going in, but hopefully he will find the back of the net soon. His confidence needs it.
Walk On.
This match was seemingly well set up for Liverpool. They had their captain, Steven Gerrard returning to the lineup, if not the starting XI. They were well rested with eight days between matches. All the important pieces to the team were fully fit or at least approaching that status. The team was unbeaten in March, with the only blemish the last few months coming in the Europa League against Besiktas.
Funny how things don't always work out the way you might plan. Liverpool created a decent chance with a shot straight at the keeper by Adam Lallana in the first five minutes, but were nowhere to be found offensively for the rest of the opening 45. Full credit does need to go to Swansea as they were sharp on the ball, good defensively and created chances. However, Liverpool were very sloppy on the ball - especially in the final third - and lacked much passion or enthusiasm for the game in the opening half.
It was very reminiscent of the terrible fixture against Burnley, eight days prior. Liverpool were not sharp and allowed an inferior opponent to employ their gameplan to good effect. They let their recent cup form bleed into the Premier League, which hasn't happened in some time. The Reds were extremely fortunate to be level at the break as Simon Mingolet was called on several times to bail out his squad.
Mingolet made a fine diving save on Bafetimbi Gomis, stretching out to his right on a ball slid nicely on the ground - a save which is incredibly difficult for keepers, which always begs the question of why people don't shoot on the ground more often. Then later in the half, the Belgian was called upon again, this time diving spectacularly through the air to the left and parrying away the curling shot by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
They were incredibly important saves, not only to keep the game level but to really prove that Mingolet's form had returned. The Belgian international would probably have conceded both chances early in the season. Instead, Mingolet has regained his confidence and looks very headstrong and confident on all balls he attempts for. Even manager Brendan Rodgers agreed. "He's been outstanding. We needed him first half," said the Irishman. "We were still in the game because of [him]. He's been excellent. As I said, the team suffered at the beginning of the season, but clearly now you see his confidence along with the team's."
Mingolet kept the team in the game the first half, but Liverpool needed better in the second and got it. Their chances were still limited, but the Reds did a much better job of stringing passes together. They were cooler on the ball and found the open spaces. One thing they did do well at the end of the first half, was work the ball side to side to tire out Swansea which paid off in the second.
Ultimately though, the Reds were extremely lucky to get the win. Jordan Henderson scored the lone goal of the match with pure hustle and no skill. Martin Skrtel played a very nice through ball, deflected by Daniel Sturridge, into a hole in the defense. Henderson charged it down and had the defender's sliding clearance deflect off his leg and over the top of the keeper Fabianski. It was a goal that provided both relief and comedy to Reds' supporters as they got the goal they needed, but had it come at the expense of a team that deserved a result from the way they played.
Sturridge did almost score at the end of the match, failing to get that final curl on a right footed shot that dinked off the far right post, but really even with their improved play, Liverpool did not create enough to fully deserve the win that came anyway. In the end though, when a season ends, nobody remembers how the wins came as long as they came.
Liverpool have kept themselves in an enviable position within the table. Despite remaining in fifth place, the Reds are only two points behind Manchester United and three behind Arsenal with fixtures coming up against both over the next two weeks. If Liverpool stay on form and get a bit of luck from other games, they could honestly climb as high as 2nd in the table by season's end. Top four is still the goal, but last year proved that you never know which clubs slip up - no pun intended - at the wrong times.
Random thoughts:
- Raheem Sterling needs to sign the contract. I don't know what figures have officially been offered, but as good as the young man is he still has learning to do. Liverpool are better equipped to allow that to happen and learning under Brendan Rodgers is the better place to do it rather than the superclubs where he would only be the 4th or 5th best player and yanked out of the lineup as soon as a bit of bad form crept in. All the pundits said today, and I agree, that Sterling will get even bigger money down the road when he earns it, but shouldn't be chasing only dollar signs right now (or pounds or Euros as the case may be).
- Where is Mario? Again, I realize that I am one of the lone voices in this camp, but I don't understand why Balotelli fails to really get a game after scoring two important goals for the team. By no means has he earned anything close to a starting position, but other than being a childhood fan, Rickie Lambert has done even less to be in the team sheet through my eyes. I wish I could see what Rodgers sees in training to make these decisions. C'est la vie.
- It's been amazing to see the downfall of Manchester City in recent weeks. Less than a month ago, City and Chelsea were almost assured of being the top two clubs at the end of the season. Now, through bad form or bad luck, City have opened up the entire thing. It would be an amazing turn of events, given the form of Liverpool and Arsenal and United's penchant for getting points regardless of form, to see City fall completely out of the top four after having the second spot almost locked up not long ago.
- Despite the good form of Joe Allen recently and my affection for Brendan Rodgers, I disagree that Gerrard has not earned the right to be placed back into the starting lineup as soon as he returned to fitness. Again, Allen played well but you could just see the team light up when their leader returned to the field. Gerrard has lost a big step in terms of pace, but he makes up for it with his touch and pure leadership on the pitch.
- I love Daniel Sturridge. He is and will be incredibly important to Liverpool's chances of doing good things the rest of the season. However, after his initial two games returning from injury, he seems to have gotten worse each game. He shies away from any contact. He doesn't chase down balls unless he knows, with all certainty, that he will track it down. His shot has been lacking and doesn't seem to be getting into those intuitive areas that will lead to goals. He really could've used that last ball going in, but hopefully he will find the back of the net soon. His confidence needs it.
Walk On.
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.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Bland Midweek Win Pushes Liverpool Back into Fifth
Liverpool's midweek match against Burnley in the league provided no real surprises. Liverpool managed a relatively easy win over a side struggling to get out of the relegation zone. Burnley had only won four times in 27 matches prior and had not won at Anfield in 41 years. Therefor, the mountain for them to climb was always going to be a difficult one and the Liverpool players made it even steeper by coming out and doing their jobs.
It was by no means a perfect game. The Reds failed to convert on chances that they may have if clicking on all cylinders, but ultimately it did not matter too much. Daniel Sturridge had a pretty good game. Obviously his form has had peaks and valleys since his return, but he remains a key for the squad to get into the top four by the end of the season. Sturridge scored a very good goal. Jordan Henderson sent in a beautiful cross from the right wing and Sturridge slipped between two defenders to nod in the second goal of the game. However, he failed to score on a breakaway and turned away from a cross that may have led to a goal as well.
Sturridge's game continues to evolve as he regains his fitness. When he is at his best, he continues to be a catalyst for good things for Liverpool. The only downside to his current form is, at times, he seems to be bitten by the Balotelli bug. There are brief times where the effort appears to not be there. There are times he shrinks back from challenges and does not go full boar the way he had last season. This is forgivable given the several injuries he accrued before finally settling back in the team this year, but one can only hope that once he feels 100% confident that he will attack without holding back.
This was one of those games where there really wasn't a whole lot to glean from it. Liverpool won, which they were expected to do. They held onto the ball for the majority of the game, which they were expected to do. They limited the chances of their opponent, which given Burnley's goal differential of minus 20 before the match, didn't seem like too tall of an order.
Things were not negative coming out of this game though, despite the lack of enthusiasm from yours truly. Liverpool could have had more goals and should have, but other than that they did what they needed to do. They needed to win to stay within reach of the top four and did so, not knowing how the results of other matches were going. They got the victory without really expending a lot of energy as well, which is a definite plus given the 120 minutes they poured into their match against Besiktas and the emotion it took to get a victory over Manchester City only 3 days later. In addition to that, they got another clean sheet, which is something they struggled to do at the beginning of the year but are now getting in regularity.
As a team, nothing spectacular came from the match but as individuals there were several top notch performances. Coutinho continues to show that when his head is in the game, he is a game changer. He has speed, touch, shiftiness, an eye for the pass and an ability to score. The fact that Liverpool locked him up for several more years is a definite plus. Emre Can continues to show improvement and versatility. He is solid enough to use as part of the back three, but has shown the talent going forward and on the ball that he will be a very useful talent in the midfield in the years to come. Some have even gone as far to say that he will be the one to step into Steven Gerrard's shoes. I think those shoes are too big for Can to fill alone, but he definitely seems capable of making that void not as wide.
Joe Allen has also become quite the player in the recent weeks. He hasn't done anything flashy or put his name on the score sheet, but that is the point. Many fans, pundits and even myself often questioned why he was even in the squad, let alone the starting XI. Allen was weak on the ball, failed to win challenges and made poor decisions in his passing game in the first half of the season. But he has stepped up in a huge way since Gerrard's injury. By no means has the Welshman played like Gerrard, but he hasn't made mistakes and that's what you look for from a player of his quality. He doesn't need to make the flashy passes or fancy moves. He doesn't need to make pinpoint crosses or even stay on the ball long. He needs to be a linchpin in the midfield and an extra defender when needed and he has done just that.
Then there is Jordan Henderson. Henderson had plenty of scrutiny brought upon him with the penalty kick controversy a few weeks ago. He wasn't given a totally fair shake due to many assuming he will automatically be made captain once Gerrard comes to America. He did himself no favors by not playing particularly well either. However, the past few games he has really stepped up his game and not just due to the fact he has scored. Henderson has grown over the past couple weeks and dealt with adversity very well. He shrugged off the Europa League nonsense and came up huge for his team. Henderson scored an incredible goal in a big match against City that would have been the goal of the month or week, if not for Coutinho's strike. Then he scored a cracker of a shot against Burnley and dropped a cross right onto Sturridge's head for the insurance tally. Henderson might not be the captain in future years and will definitely never be the next Gerrard, but as long as he's the best Jordan Henderson he can be then he has justified his place in this club.
The bottom line is that Liverpool continue to win. Win pretty, win ugly, with with style or just get the job done. They did that today. It won't go down in the annals of Anfield as an historic or memorable match, but it didn't need to be. Over the course of a season, there are so many matches that it's impossible to show flair and style every single time. Even the super-clubs like Barcelona or Bayern Munich can't accomplish that. In the end, as long as the club continues to win then it doesn't matter how it was accomplished. Just continue to win and the rest will take care of itself.
Walk On
It was by no means a perfect game. The Reds failed to convert on chances that they may have if clicking on all cylinders, but ultimately it did not matter too much. Daniel Sturridge had a pretty good game. Obviously his form has had peaks and valleys since his return, but he remains a key for the squad to get into the top four by the end of the season. Sturridge scored a very good goal. Jordan Henderson sent in a beautiful cross from the right wing and Sturridge slipped between two defenders to nod in the second goal of the game. However, he failed to score on a breakaway and turned away from a cross that may have led to a goal as well.
Sturridge's game continues to evolve as he regains his fitness. When he is at his best, he continues to be a catalyst for good things for Liverpool. The only downside to his current form is, at times, he seems to be bitten by the Balotelli bug. There are brief times where the effort appears to not be there. There are times he shrinks back from challenges and does not go full boar the way he had last season. This is forgivable given the several injuries he accrued before finally settling back in the team this year, but one can only hope that once he feels 100% confident that he will attack without holding back.
This was one of those games where there really wasn't a whole lot to glean from it. Liverpool won, which they were expected to do. They held onto the ball for the majority of the game, which they were expected to do. They limited the chances of their opponent, which given Burnley's goal differential of minus 20 before the match, didn't seem like too tall of an order.
Things were not negative coming out of this game though, despite the lack of enthusiasm from yours truly. Liverpool could have had more goals and should have, but other than that they did what they needed to do. They needed to win to stay within reach of the top four and did so, not knowing how the results of other matches were going. They got the victory without really expending a lot of energy as well, which is a definite plus given the 120 minutes they poured into their match against Besiktas and the emotion it took to get a victory over Manchester City only 3 days later. In addition to that, they got another clean sheet, which is something they struggled to do at the beginning of the year but are now getting in regularity.
As a team, nothing spectacular came from the match but as individuals there were several top notch performances. Coutinho continues to show that when his head is in the game, he is a game changer. He has speed, touch, shiftiness, an eye for the pass and an ability to score. The fact that Liverpool locked him up for several more years is a definite plus. Emre Can continues to show improvement and versatility. He is solid enough to use as part of the back three, but has shown the talent going forward and on the ball that he will be a very useful talent in the midfield in the years to come. Some have even gone as far to say that he will be the one to step into Steven Gerrard's shoes. I think those shoes are too big for Can to fill alone, but he definitely seems capable of making that void not as wide.
Joe Allen has also become quite the player in the recent weeks. He hasn't done anything flashy or put his name on the score sheet, but that is the point. Many fans, pundits and even myself often questioned why he was even in the squad, let alone the starting XI. Allen was weak on the ball, failed to win challenges and made poor decisions in his passing game in the first half of the season. But he has stepped up in a huge way since Gerrard's injury. By no means has the Welshman played like Gerrard, but he hasn't made mistakes and that's what you look for from a player of his quality. He doesn't need to make the flashy passes or fancy moves. He doesn't need to make pinpoint crosses or even stay on the ball long. He needs to be a linchpin in the midfield and an extra defender when needed and he has done just that.
Then there is Jordan Henderson. Henderson had plenty of scrutiny brought upon him with the penalty kick controversy a few weeks ago. He wasn't given a totally fair shake due to many assuming he will automatically be made captain once Gerrard comes to America. He did himself no favors by not playing particularly well either. However, the past few games he has really stepped up his game and not just due to the fact he has scored. Henderson has grown over the past couple weeks and dealt with adversity very well. He shrugged off the Europa League nonsense and came up huge for his team. Henderson scored an incredible goal in a big match against City that would have been the goal of the month or week, if not for Coutinho's strike. Then he scored a cracker of a shot against Burnley and dropped a cross right onto Sturridge's head for the insurance tally. Henderson might not be the captain in future years and will definitely never be the next Gerrard, but as long as he's the best Jordan Henderson he can be then he has justified his place in this club.
The bottom line is that Liverpool continue to win. Win pretty, win ugly, with with style or just get the job done. They did that today. It won't go down in the annals of Anfield as an historic or memorable match, but it didn't need to be. Over the course of a season, there are so many matches that it's impossible to show flair and style every single time. Even the super-clubs like Barcelona or Bayern Munich can't accomplish that. In the end, as long as the club continues to win then it doesn't matter how it was accomplished. Just continue to win and the rest will take care of itself.
Walk On
Friday, February 20, 2015
Liverpool Victorious Amid Potential Controversy
There are several issues that emerged from what should've been just a nice victory for the team. I'll try to address each while trying not to have an article that is magazine length. Before we get to the 400 pound gorilla in the room, let's focus on the actual match first. Clearly, from the title, you can discern that Liverpool were victorious in their first match in the Europa League tournament.
From the start, everything seemed to be going in Liverpool's favor. They were drawn to have the opening game of two legs at home. They were drawn against Besiktas, who are top of the Turkish league, but Liverpool have had an outstanding record against Turkish teams, especially at Anfield. The Reds have also had all the momentum in recent weeks.
Brendan Rodgers put out a very solid team, with very few changes from the previous weekend. Jordan Ibe was in play instead of Lazar Markovic due to Markovic's astonishing four game European ban. The Reds came out and dominated the opening of the match, stringing together solid passes and working the ball up the field against a Besiktas formation that was clearly set up to play defense and counter. Liverpool did a good job of holding the ball for the first portion of the first half, but when the chances weren't really coming in droves, the Turkish side began gaining confidence. Liverpool were very lucky not to concede as their counterparts had fantastic goal scoring opportunities, including one that forced a miraculous save from Simon Mingolet in the 32nd minute.
Liverpool had their moments in the second half, both offensively - in a positive manner - and defensively - in a negative fashion. As another example of manager's choices that continue to pay off, Rodgers put out even more offense in an attempt to win a game that was scoreless until the 85th minute. Mario Balotelli, Raheem Sterling and Dejan Lovren all came in as attacking minded subs. People will say Lovren is a defender, but the choice to insert him was still attacking minded because it allowed Emre Can to be pushed forward into a more positive midfield role.
Then came the controversy. Liverpool gained their win when Jordan Ibe made a brilliant run up the right wing and sliced into the box. Ibe was taken down and the Reds were awarded a penalty kick. Mario Balotelli slotted home the spot kick into the bottom left corner and that was all she wrote about the actual game. Liverpool had an opportunity for a second goal late in the contest, but the ball did not find its intended target and Besiktas were able to escape Anfield down only a goal heading home.
However, instead of being able to focus on a victorious night at Anfield and setting themselves up for a potential run at a European trophy, Liverpool fans are being forced into a silly controversy and having to choose sides when they should be uniting. By now everyone has seen the incident, so I won't waste space describing it in detail. With little to no actual detail coming out of any players' mouths, fans are left to speculate. Was Jordan Henderson intending to take the kick? Was Daniel Sturridge asking Henderson to take the kick or was he asking Henderson to tell Balotelli to let Sturridge take the kick?
The bottom line, for me, is it doesn't matter. Henderson is a fine player and is growing into the role that Rodgers wants him to play as team captain. Henderson is not and never will be Steven Gerrard. That does not mean that he cannot be a decent captain. No two captains are exactly alike in either playing style or team management. Regardless of who wears the armband though, Henderson would not be my top choice to take a penalty. There were two to four players on the pitch I would've chosen to take the penalty before Jordan Henderson. There are plenty of football captains around the world who are not the designated penalty taker as well. So Balotelli taking the kick and converting should not be a big deal.
Was Sturridge telling Henderson the captain should take the kick or making a case for himself? Neither option really changes anything either. Plenty of people argue over kick taking chances. Usually it is done on free kicks, when it is a little less contentious but there are no ill effects going forward. It was disheartening to see the trio part with some discord and Sturridge seemed a little churlish when congratulating the goal scorer. However, one should hope that the actual players left their discord on the pitch and will be fine going forward.
The other discouraging thing out of that was Steven Gerrard's comments. While Gerrard has earned the right, as both a club legend and team captain, to speak his mind and give whatever answers to a media member's question he chooses, what Gerrard actually did was pour gasoline on the fire. There is a section of both the media and general public that will latch onto anything negative regarding Mario Balotelli and Gerrard saying his actions were in poor taste did nothing to assuage those people's feelings.
Despite my relative youth, I see things through old school eyes most times. You should respect authority, when warranted and should conduct yourself in a certain manner. Did Balotelli do this in the grand sense? Probably not. However, I do not feel he showed anyone up. He was not completely disrespectful in his actions. He would not have done the same thing to Steven Gerrard, but I don't feel he was disrespecting the captaincy of Jordan Henderson by his actions either. Balotelli is egotistical and forthright.
Many of the talents in the game are, whether we agree with it or not. Whether Henderson was the "designated penalty taker" or not, players like Luis Suarez or Gareth Bale or Diego Costa would have all done the same thing no matter who had the armband. Liverpool fans will all take their sides and voice their opinions. Yet, they should all still support Balotelli and the rest of the players regardless. Fans should want Balotelli to be returning to form because that means there are more options and more talent to be put on the pitch. Fans should want there to be harmony in the dressing room because the better the team gets along, the more they can easily connect on the pitch.
Another issue that popped up during this game was more of an overall question and it was posed by the broadcasters on Fox's showing of the game. It was an intriguing question that fans, pundits and the manager himself could all have vastly differing views on. The question was, with Liverpool still alive in several competitions, where do you focus your energies? You have an opportunity at English silverware in the FA Cup. You have an opportunity to still push into the top four in the league. You also have a chance to get a Champions League spot as well as a European trophy if you go all out in the Europa League.
So the big question now - with no clear answer - is where do you put your full energies. All contest deserve a full effort from the starting XI and looking for a result. Nobody is saying that you want to lose a competition, however all have merits. Sometimes that is not the case. The Capital One Cup is often looked at as a competition that teams do not mind bowing out of.
Liverpool are deep enough that they could conceivably stay in and look to win all of their goals still ahead. The problem becomes whether you wear out your players. Liverpool's success has come from sticking with a fairly consistent starting XI, with a change here or there. Do you keep all those players playing in all competitions and hope for the best when your team has had such injury problems? Or do you change it up, use your depth and focus your main starting players on one competition. If that is your option, which do you place more value on?
On the surface, the Europa League generally falls lowest on the totem pole. On the surface, the league would be the highest priority and then the FA Cup. However, things are not always as they appear on the surface. The Fox broadcast made a point and it makes sense. This weekend's match against Southampton may provide the answer. Southampton are currently in fourth in the table and four points above Liverpool. Though there are also two other teams above the Reds, the outcome of that match might make it easier to focus on a certain competition.
If Liverpool lose, then they are further away from the top four and have lost to one of their main competitors. That result would make it easier to focus on the tournaments. A win over Southampton keeps Liverpool at least three points from the top four and possibly only one point away from a Champions League slot. It definitely is an intriguing question that will come to bear if the team can keep their form.
Random thoughts:
- Steven Gerrard is a legend and I hold him in high regard. However, in this instance, I feel he would've been better suited in taking a page from Brendan Rodgers' book in how to answer the penalty question.
- It always amazes me how quickly certain sectors of the public lash out. As soon as anyone suggests Balotelli has stood up to Henderson, it makes Henderson a bad choice as captain. As I said in the main article, Henderson is not and never will be on the level of Gerrard. But the man is only 24. Not all captains are fully ready to lead their team to the fullest right from the get go. Henderson may yet grow into a quality skipper for the Reds.
- To answer my own question regarding the competitions, unless Liverpool get smacked against Southampton, I feel the league still comes first. Cup competitions all come down to the draw. If you get a favorable draw, then you can put your best foot forward. If not, then nothing is certain in tournament formats even if you have the better squad on paper. Focus on steadily moving toward a top four spot with plenty of games left in the league and see how each draw goes in the Europa and FA.
- I hate to feel so strongly about a player just now getting their first big game action, since so many look good in spurts and then fall off. But right now, Jordan Ibe looks like the real deal. He has speed very close to Raheem Sterling and a body more like Sturridge and great footskills. He also has shown himself to not shrink from the occasion. He takes players on like a veteran or like a player who does not know any different at the very least. If he continues to improve, then his future with the Reds could and should be extremely bright.
- I was glad to see smiles on the faces of Balotelli and his teammates in training today. Regardless of how you feel about him, Liverpool are a more dangerous team if he is in form, if he has a good relationship with his teammates and if there is no rift going forward. There is never complete harmony in a locker room, but there cannot be an actual rift and expect there to be success.
Walk On.
From the start, everything seemed to be going in Liverpool's favor. They were drawn to have the opening game of two legs at home. They were drawn against Besiktas, who are top of the Turkish league, but Liverpool have had an outstanding record against Turkish teams, especially at Anfield. The Reds have also had all the momentum in recent weeks.
Brendan Rodgers put out a very solid team, with very few changes from the previous weekend. Jordan Ibe was in play instead of Lazar Markovic due to Markovic's astonishing four game European ban. The Reds came out and dominated the opening of the match, stringing together solid passes and working the ball up the field against a Besiktas formation that was clearly set up to play defense and counter. Liverpool did a good job of holding the ball for the first portion of the first half, but when the chances weren't really coming in droves, the Turkish side began gaining confidence. Liverpool were very lucky not to concede as their counterparts had fantastic goal scoring opportunities, including one that forced a miraculous save from Simon Mingolet in the 32nd minute.
Liverpool had their moments in the second half, both offensively - in a positive manner - and defensively - in a negative fashion. As another example of manager's choices that continue to pay off, Rodgers put out even more offense in an attempt to win a game that was scoreless until the 85th minute. Mario Balotelli, Raheem Sterling and Dejan Lovren all came in as attacking minded subs. People will say Lovren is a defender, but the choice to insert him was still attacking minded because it allowed Emre Can to be pushed forward into a more positive midfield role.
Then came the controversy. Liverpool gained their win when Jordan Ibe made a brilliant run up the right wing and sliced into the box. Ibe was taken down and the Reds were awarded a penalty kick. Mario Balotelli slotted home the spot kick into the bottom left corner and that was all she wrote about the actual game. Liverpool had an opportunity for a second goal late in the contest, but the ball did not find its intended target and Besiktas were able to escape Anfield down only a goal heading home.
However, instead of being able to focus on a victorious night at Anfield and setting themselves up for a potential run at a European trophy, Liverpool fans are being forced into a silly controversy and having to choose sides when they should be uniting. By now everyone has seen the incident, so I won't waste space describing it in detail. With little to no actual detail coming out of any players' mouths, fans are left to speculate. Was Jordan Henderson intending to take the kick? Was Daniel Sturridge asking Henderson to take the kick or was he asking Henderson to tell Balotelli to let Sturridge take the kick?
The bottom line, for me, is it doesn't matter. Henderson is a fine player and is growing into the role that Rodgers wants him to play as team captain. Henderson is not and never will be Steven Gerrard. That does not mean that he cannot be a decent captain. No two captains are exactly alike in either playing style or team management. Regardless of who wears the armband though, Henderson would not be my top choice to take a penalty. There were two to four players on the pitch I would've chosen to take the penalty before Jordan Henderson. There are plenty of football captains around the world who are not the designated penalty taker as well. So Balotelli taking the kick and converting should not be a big deal.
Was Sturridge telling Henderson the captain should take the kick or making a case for himself? Neither option really changes anything either. Plenty of people argue over kick taking chances. Usually it is done on free kicks, when it is a little less contentious but there are no ill effects going forward. It was disheartening to see the trio part with some discord and Sturridge seemed a little churlish when congratulating the goal scorer. However, one should hope that the actual players left their discord on the pitch and will be fine going forward.
The other discouraging thing out of that was Steven Gerrard's comments. While Gerrard has earned the right, as both a club legend and team captain, to speak his mind and give whatever answers to a media member's question he chooses, what Gerrard actually did was pour gasoline on the fire. There is a section of both the media and general public that will latch onto anything negative regarding Mario Balotelli and Gerrard saying his actions were in poor taste did nothing to assuage those people's feelings.
Despite my relative youth, I see things through old school eyes most times. You should respect authority, when warranted and should conduct yourself in a certain manner. Did Balotelli do this in the grand sense? Probably not. However, I do not feel he showed anyone up. He was not completely disrespectful in his actions. He would not have done the same thing to Steven Gerrard, but I don't feel he was disrespecting the captaincy of Jordan Henderson by his actions either. Balotelli is egotistical and forthright.
Many of the talents in the game are, whether we agree with it or not. Whether Henderson was the "designated penalty taker" or not, players like Luis Suarez or Gareth Bale or Diego Costa would have all done the same thing no matter who had the armband. Liverpool fans will all take their sides and voice their opinions. Yet, they should all still support Balotelli and the rest of the players regardless. Fans should want Balotelli to be returning to form because that means there are more options and more talent to be put on the pitch. Fans should want there to be harmony in the dressing room because the better the team gets along, the more they can easily connect on the pitch.
Another issue that popped up during this game was more of an overall question and it was posed by the broadcasters on Fox's showing of the game. It was an intriguing question that fans, pundits and the manager himself could all have vastly differing views on. The question was, with Liverpool still alive in several competitions, where do you focus your energies? You have an opportunity at English silverware in the FA Cup. You have an opportunity to still push into the top four in the league. You also have a chance to get a Champions League spot as well as a European trophy if you go all out in the Europa League.
So the big question now - with no clear answer - is where do you put your full energies. All contest deserve a full effort from the starting XI and looking for a result. Nobody is saying that you want to lose a competition, however all have merits. Sometimes that is not the case. The Capital One Cup is often looked at as a competition that teams do not mind bowing out of.
Liverpool are deep enough that they could conceivably stay in and look to win all of their goals still ahead. The problem becomes whether you wear out your players. Liverpool's success has come from sticking with a fairly consistent starting XI, with a change here or there. Do you keep all those players playing in all competitions and hope for the best when your team has had such injury problems? Or do you change it up, use your depth and focus your main starting players on one competition. If that is your option, which do you place more value on?
On the surface, the Europa League generally falls lowest on the totem pole. On the surface, the league would be the highest priority and then the FA Cup. However, things are not always as they appear on the surface. The Fox broadcast made a point and it makes sense. This weekend's match against Southampton may provide the answer. Southampton are currently in fourth in the table and four points above Liverpool. Though there are also two other teams above the Reds, the outcome of that match might make it easier to focus on a certain competition.
If Liverpool lose, then they are further away from the top four and have lost to one of their main competitors. That result would make it easier to focus on the tournaments. A win over Southampton keeps Liverpool at least three points from the top four and possibly only one point away from a Champions League slot. It definitely is an intriguing question that will come to bear if the team can keep their form.
Random thoughts:
- Steven Gerrard is a legend and I hold him in high regard. However, in this instance, I feel he would've been better suited in taking a page from Brendan Rodgers' book in how to answer the penalty question.
- It always amazes me how quickly certain sectors of the public lash out. As soon as anyone suggests Balotelli has stood up to Henderson, it makes Henderson a bad choice as captain. As I said in the main article, Henderson is not and never will be on the level of Gerrard. But the man is only 24. Not all captains are fully ready to lead their team to the fullest right from the get go. Henderson may yet grow into a quality skipper for the Reds.
- To answer my own question regarding the competitions, unless Liverpool get smacked against Southampton, I feel the league still comes first. Cup competitions all come down to the draw. If you get a favorable draw, then you can put your best foot forward. If not, then nothing is certain in tournament formats even if you have the better squad on paper. Focus on steadily moving toward a top four spot with plenty of games left in the league and see how each draw goes in the Europa and FA.
- I hate to feel so strongly about a player just now getting their first big game action, since so many look good in spurts and then fall off. But right now, Jordan Ibe looks like the real deal. He has speed very close to Raheem Sterling and a body more like Sturridge and great footskills. He also has shown himself to not shrink from the occasion. He takes players on like a veteran or like a player who does not know any different at the very least. If he continues to improve, then his future with the Reds could and should be extremely bright.
- I was glad to see smiles on the faces of Balotelli and his teammates in training today. Regardless of how you feel about him, Liverpool are a more dangerous team if he is in form, if he has a good relationship with his teammates and if there is no rift going forward. There is never complete harmony in a locker room, but there cannot be an actual rift and expect there to be success.
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
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