Sunday 30 December 2012

(A) QPR - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League
                                        Sunday 30th December 2012
                                             Loftus Road
                         Queens Park Rangers VS Liverpool

The difference between what should happen and what does transpire is one that shapes the game. Upsets are a part of the game and the very unpredictability of it is what makes football so great. That doesn't mean they have to happen all the time however. It's a mixture of pessimism and masochism which lures you into believing the worse. Like when we face a team that's bottom of the league with one win all season and you're convinced they're going to win.

 Of course, this game might say more about ourselves than QPR. They need it more than we do - survival will become rather desperate for them sooner rather than later - but even so, our inconsistency may be the key rather than their willingness to fight. Harry Redknapp is nothing if not a good motivator and if anything is to happen in terms of their battle to avoid the drop it will have to start at home.

One thing that has come through already this afternoon is the news that Brendan Rodgers will not be with the team due to illness. This complicates things and adds a different spin on the game, due to the frantic nature of what could happen and how Colin Pascoe - whom I'm guessing will be in charge - might see it. While this is something of a inconvenience, there is also chance for a massive blow to the team as Luis Suarez could possibly be missing due to an injury. Even when you're facing the lowest team in the league, nothing is straightforward.

 Last year this game was one of - far too many - deplorable lows. Having been two goals to the good only to throw it away, it was the moment which not only Champions League qualification looked to be finished but even making the top six was going to be a struggle. It was the final straw on what was then to become a really regrettable season, in spite of winning the league cup. Much like Sebastian Coates' magnificent goal here last season, it was negated because of what followed. We've been the catalyst for far too many Premier League resurrections over the years and I would hate to see us give another lifeline once again.

 2012. A year which has shaped the future of Liverpool Football Club like all those before it. Kenny Dalglish took us to Wembley three times, but lost his job because of the depths we'd sunken to in the league. Now, with Brendan Rodgers, we go into the new year with hope of a brighter future and a better tomorrow. What better way to see out the year and underline all that then, than with a victory.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

(A) Stoke - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Stoke 3-1 Liverpool
Stoke Goals: John Walters (5, 49), Kenwyne Jones (12)
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (2 PEN)

We said we'd have a party if Suarez won a pen.  As it turned out, this wasn't a very good party.  It was every bit the kind of horror show you expect from a visit to Stoke and for all the pre match optimism I had that something had to change in respect to our form here, in the end it turned out all too predictably.  A lot has been said about the way in which we approached the game from a tactical stand point and that playing our regular 4-3-3 was playing into their hands and that we should have switched to a back three, I can't help but feel as if trying to match them in a physical battle would have dragged the game down completely and we'd have been lacking in any creativity should things have gone wrong.  It's a tough situation whereby the only real right answer is to win the game and I think with the team that we did put out, Rodgers was going for the win rather than to be happy with matching them in some sort of midfield gridlock.

The surprise was twofold.  Firstly that the team playing the long ball was us rather than Stoke.  We do go direct more often than people seem to think, especially given that Suarez is such a good hold up player.  Here he had Ryan Shawcross turned and got the wrong side of him with the ball being played in behind the Stoke defence.  What happened next was then was truly unexpected.  Unable to get back goal side of Suarez, Shawcross began grabbing at his shirt as he drove into the penalty area.  Howard Webb then pointed to the spot and awarded a penalty.  Having gone so long without one, it would have then been absolutely typical that Gerrard would step up and have his kick saved but he calmly placed it into the left hand corner while Begovic was helpless as he dived the wrong way.  We could have wished for a better start to the game.  If only it had finished that way.

Both sets of supporters had vocally gone up a gear.  We'd even lit a red flare in the away end to add some extra atmosphere to proceedings, while Stoke fans vocalised their feelings of faux injustice.  Because it was Suarez that means it couldn't have been a penalty.  Or something.  On the pitch things were equally as frantic as neither side could really settle down and players on both teams were flying into each other, Geoff Cameron receiving a yellow card for his challenge on Lucas during it all.  As it turned out, the drama was only just beginning.  Another straight ball played forward from back to front, this time by Ryan Shawcross.  Kenwyne Jones backed into Agger who held his ground and won the header but due to the presence of Jones was unable to get any real distance on it.  Martin Skrtel would have been there to clear up the second ball but he slipped over, leaving John Walters to pick up the pieces and slot the ball home for a near instant leveller.

In the minutes that followed after Walters' equaliser, Stoke pressed us with an intense ferocity that I haven't seen matched this season by an opposition side.  They ran everywhere trying to bully us into mistakes and having lost the lead so quickly our collective brains were scrambled and there was nobody who could get on the ball and take the sting out of the game.  When we did have any kind of possession, there was a loose pass or miscontrol never too far away and against a side playing with such energy and directness it was always going to come straight back on to our - increasingly deep - back four.  For Tony Pulis' side, it was a case of get the ball as close to the goal as often as possible and see what kind of havoc you can create.  Lucas was doing what he could do help win the aerial duels that Agger and Skrtel were having to contend with but on the whole we weren't sharp enough or good enough to hold onto it.

Stoke continually bullied us into giving away one set piece after another and all of them in close enough to Reina for their towering players to come in and make a nuisance of themselves.  The second goal arrived soon afterwards and it wasn't particularly inevitable, or even well worked.  It was after a succession of long throws and corner kicks that were all cleared, though none of them particularly convincingly.  Glen Whelan's cross was not of any great quality and Kenwyne Jones' header was good enough to find it's way into the near post but it was the fact that he'd been able to wriggle free of Daniel Agger so easily and that Glen Johnson couldn't block it on the line when it seemed like he was right there to stick a leg out and prevent it.  We'd taken the lead in the second minute and ten minutes later we were losing.  There was still a long way to go yet.

Going ahead seemed to settle them down briefly.  Subconsciously or not, when a side that doesn't concede many at home comes from behind to go in front, they then don't expect you'll have enough to score another.  Luis Suarez did have a half chance with the ball having been played flat across the box by Jose Enrique but he could not make any real contact with it and they were able to clear.  Our defence - despite wanting to push out further than our own penalty area - was constantly on the back foot as they played balls into the channels and then into the box for Jones or Walters to make something of.  Reina had no saves to make but our clearances were becoming increasingly frantic.  At the other end Suarez was virtually having to play four Stoke defenders on his own.  When we did manage to get players forward on the counter attack again it was a player slipping at the wrong time that cost us.  Johnson slid in Downing on the right hand side and his ball across may have been behind Suso but he was in a lot of space and had he not fell over might have been able to do something with it.

After the initial fifteen minute bombardment, we did start to get on the ball and catch our breath.  The situation may not have been ideal but we still had plenty of time to come back from what was a solitary goal deficit.  Agger was even afforded the space to stride forward with the ball and link with Luis Suarez but was unable to find a way through Stoke's packed defence.  Moments later Lucas played a magnificent ball over the top to Jonjo Shelvey but he just couldn't gather it in and finish.  The problem was that for the most part Stoke were the team winning all the battles, more specifically Kenwyne Jones.  He was causing Skrtel some real problems and the fact that as a back four we were so deep, this allowed them to come on to us even more.  Both our failure to do simple things while retaining the ball and our predictability when it came to try and win it back - both Suso and Gerrard sold themselves far too short twice in the space of a few seconds and in Gerrard's case it led to a chance for Etherington which he fortunately blazed over.

Our attacking play was starting to come into the game once more but we were unable to create anything clear cut.  In general build up play when we were in control and playing the ball around in their half there were eight Stoke defenders strung across the middle and on the few occasions we did catch them on the break our final pass wasn't there.  The one real quality pass we did manage was Suso to Suarez and it split the centre halves perfectly but Luis was unable to gather it in.  A lot of what we did try was coming from those wide areas because of how congested it was down the middle.  Downing was in the thick of a lot of the action to the point where Tony Pulis was forced into moving Geoff Cameron over to the other side to save him from a potential challenge that would see him receive a second yellow.  When he did manage to get into those areas though we weren't able to finish with a Gerrard side foot going just wide before Suarez had a wild effort with his wrong foot.

The most worrying aspect of this game to me wasn't anything to do with our toughness or battling qualities - even Suso was getting the better of the more physical Stoke players at times - but rather our naivety in dealing with their squeezing of the play when we had the ball along our own defensive third.  Time and again we had chances to either clear the ball or those around had the chance to move into better space but we continued to knock the ball around in increasingly smaller areas of the defence, allowing them the opportunity to focus their efforts and make it much harder to play the ball out.  Even so much of an inkling of that kind of disruption from a Stoke player seemed to have this hold over us that we forgot how to play football and would either give it straight up or put ourselves in increasingly difficult situations.  When they come onto us like that, there should be gaps elsewhere - ones that our midfielders should be occupying and ready to exploit.  What shouldn't happen is this idea that we force ourselves further and further back, too stubborn to clear it but knowing that the danger is imminent.  We're supposed to be better than that.

After breaking the shackles of their relentless pursuit of our centre halves, we were at some degree of comfort for the most part.  Stoke had their set up and held a very good shape making sure that any gaps were plugged as quickly as possible.  That being said Suarez was still trying to make things happen and he was having mixed results, in trying to nutmeg Robert Huth and failing miserably before turning Geoff Cameron off a throw in and firing in between the legs of Begovic.  The Stoke goalkeeper can consider himself lucky not to have conceded again, having just about kept the ball out by virtually sitting on it.  Even Jonjo Shelvey who was having a torrid time in the middle of the park found space and controlled the ball brilliantly but could not match this up with a finish and his tame shot went straight at the goalkeeper.

At the other end Reina was forced into action once again when his mis-hit clearance looked to have put Stoke in for a third.  The eventual cross that came in evaded everyone and fell at the feet of Matthew Etherington who was about to fire but Reina managed to smother him.  It was good work to make up for his initial mistake but another sign that we needed to improve our passing as a whole and not invite them onto us.  As half time arrived it wasn't the end of the world by any means, we'd taken the lead and then succumbed to a bombardment by a ravenous home side.  There were chances for us to come back level and the hope was that if we continued to play like that and create some better chances then there was definitely a chance of leaving the Brittania with at least a point yet still.

The resumption of play would see a change in the form of Raheem Sterling coming on for Suso.  It was both an understandable change in that we needed more of a spark up front and for all that's been said of Suso being potentially lightweight - which is something he needs to improve on but I think is a little harsh - Sterling is certainly someone who may be of a slender build but has no problem throwing himself into challenges and won't shirk the fight if he's in one.  Unfortunately the change that hadn't been made was one in the minds of those who had already been out there for the first half.  Within seconds we had the ball back toward our goal and hadn't woken up to their constant rushing, which led to Agger giving the ball away on the left hand side.  Fortunately we were able to regroup and even create a good chance of our own.  Gerrard played it to Sterling who was being watched by two Stoke defenders.  A quick burst of pace saw him get to the line and put a ball across, where Suarez had ghosted in front of Robert Huth.  The angle was a little tight and with Begovic right on him however, the attempted chipped finish went narrowly wide.  Only a single goal down there was still hope.  From one end to the other then, Stoke were about to make the task a whole lot harder.

Lucas had been watchful and knocked the ball out for two successive quick throw ins.  Having played the first one short it was clear that the second was going to be launched into the box and we played right into their hands.  Jones was being watched by two defenders but neither could prevent him from winning the header and as a result there was no attention paid whatsoever to the second ball.  Walters was able to chest the ball down and volley it beyond Reina from inside the penalty area with no defender getting anywhere near him.  It's not about any style of marking rather than it is slack marking.  If you're going to pay that much attention to the intended target then you have to win the initial header, otherwise make sure you're there to mop up whatever happens following that.  We did neither and now found ourselves two goals down with just a few minutes of the second half having been played.

From here, virtually the whole team fell apart for the next few minutes.  Even the most basic of passing was beyond us as we looked to let Stoke in at every opportunity, who themselves needed no invitation to come at us given how comfortable they were in the game.  The exception was Luis Suarez; bane of the Stoke netherworld.  They continued to voice their disapproval louder than any kind of support for their own players and it appeared as if the more they booed him the harder he worked.  He was causing problems for defenders and winning corners as well as chasing down everything to the point where Robert Huth and latterly Ryan Shawcross had to be right on their toes as he very nearly got on the end of a misplaced back pass.

Steven Gerrard likewise saw the need to get us further up the pitch both in the sense that we needed to create something as an attacking force to get back into the game and allowing us some respite from their harassment but his range wasn't quite there and even when he did manage to find Glen Johnson he found himself being closely marshalled by two Stoke defenders but was still able to cut on the outside and earn a corner.  One set piece closely followed another and if anything was more likely to lead to another Stoke goal rather than a way back into it for ourselves with a potentially lethal break being halted by a marginal offside call.  We were showing signs of recovery in the sense that we rediscovered our ability to pass the ball and though Stoke had men back behind the ball we were fighting hard to get beyond them, Jose Enqique using his strength to barge through.  When in those positions however there weren't enough men forward and the final ball was lacking.

In terms of changing personnel, there was one player who had to stay on the pitch.  While Brendan Rodgers looked to inject Jordan Henderson's energy onto the game as he came on for Lucas, within moments of the switch there could have been disaster in terms of Luis Suarez's involvement.  He came into a challenge with a high boot and caught Begovic.  It looked a difficult one to call and certainly one which would draw a great deal of anger if the circumstances were reversed but overall the right decision was reached.  While the crowed bayed for a red and Howard Webb infuriated them by only showing the Uruguayan a yellow.  It was looking a near impossible task the way we were playing with Suarez.  Without him there would have been no hope whatsoever.

The two goal cushion had lead to Stoke pulling men deep somewhat as we started to enjoy more of the possession again.  They still were hard in the tackle and very well organised but Gerrard was now able to run forward with the ball and look for room beyond their back line or even be tempted into a shot.  Aside from Suarez, our best chance of getting back into the game was with the free kicks that we were winning on the flank.  Downing won one right on the edge of the penalty area which was headed clear whereas moments earlier Gerrard's effort was similarly dealt with.  Against an opponent which has a distinct height advantage, I'm really not sure the way in which we went about trying to exploit these opportunities was particularly clever - especially when considering that we've been better at that on the whole this season.  In the midst of it all we did have the ball in the net however.  Suarez combining with Gerrard then Sterling and finally Henderson before falling down on the ball.  Luis hammered the ball into the net but the whistle had already gone as Jordan was judged to have handled it.

Defensively we were coping better, partly because Stoke had no reason to venture into our half and even on the occasions when they did we looked petrified of what they were going to do.  Enrique and Johnson very nearly both gave the ball away in dangerous areas only to make amends  Jose using his strength to atone for his earlier error and Gerrard on the cover to force Stoke inside where we cleared it.  It wouldn't take long for the ball to be up the other end.  As had been the case for some time, it wasn't before long that Suarez was involved again first having his shot blocked and then being flagged for offside as Gerrard tried to play him in.  Very little good came out of this game but Suarez's effort must be commended.

A collision between Dean Whitehead and Pepe Reina allowed more time to be eaten away but also gave us a small window with which to regroup.  Reina was okay to continue after not too long and it then took us a whole two passes before one was played astray.  This is under minimal pressure and we were fortunate enough to get it clear and not be further punished.  On the break meanwhile, Sterling left it for Shelvey and he played it across field to Glen Johnson.  What followed looked every bit the player we'd seen for some weeks now right up until the finish.  Under different circumstances, he'dve driven in and shot - to which I would have gladly accepted the consequences, whether it went miles wide or not.  Johnson could easily have gone for the pass also, but what with the way the game had gone and our growing desperation he delayed it far too long and the pass eventually rolled straight to a Stoke defender.

Coping in a game like this - especially with the circumstances the way they were - is all about mental strength.  Having the physicality to get involved is one thing but it's about belief, desire and how you use that. Jose Enrique is one of the strongest players we have and there were times when the pressure would get to him and they'd be able to get there first.  The first touches were deserting our players completely - right throughout the team - and if you can't get it right in that kind of intensity, it undermines everything we're trying to do.  As a last resort, Joe Cole came on for Stewart Downing followed immediately afterwards by former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch making an appearance for Stoke.  I did fear that with any kind of chance he'd end the game completely with one of those goals that are only ever scored by players that used to play for you.  As it was, they were doing a perfectly good job of shutting it down themselves.

Much to the absolute delight of the Stoke crowd, Luis Suarez was growing ever frustrated with the way things were going.  Every misplaced pass or attempt at something that wouldn't come off would be greeted with the kind of cheer you'd normally reserve for goals.  When Enrique played one over the top from the left hand side it finally looked like he'd got goal side for a second.  However he was forced to turn back and then lay it off to Sterling on the edge of the box whose shot hit a defender and allowed Begovic to pluck it out of the air with ease.  Suarez aside, pretty much everything we were attempting to do was slow and tentative, as if we were frightened of them coming out to attack us once more.  Conversely when Stoke snapped in at our heels it was purposeful and they drove forward with a real menace, although they were lacking in any real quality and Reina was only ever troubled by a few potentially short backpasses that they were determined to chase all the way down.

To their credit, Stoke retained their concentration all over the park right to the very end.  There were times when they had ten players inside the penalty area, making it near impossible for anyone to get through.  Suarez was still trying desperately however but completely unable to get anything going.  His free kick hit the wall and when Joe Cole found him on the right hand side with a flicked header he played a dangerous ball in across the back line only for no-one to be on the end of it.  Gerrard managed to force a camera save out of Begovic in the time that remained and when Suarez had one last shot and fell over on his backside in the process, that pretty much summed up the entire game.  Once again we take a small step back after having a good result against Fulham and once again we're caught completely off our game plan by a team that gets in our faces.  My worry would not be the fact that we didn't match them in terms of shape or personnel (although I've really no explanation as for how Jonjo Shelvey managed to stay on for ninety minutes) - I like the idea of trying to impose our game on them - my concern would be that we didn't match their desire and that's the one thing you'd expect them to have.  Incredibly disappointing.  We move on.

(A) Stoke - Pre Match Thoughts

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                                            Premier League
                                      Wednesday 26th December 2012
                                          Britannia Stadium
                                         Stoke VS Liverpool

Even after Lionel Messi broke Gerd Muller's record of goals in a calendar year, there are still questions that remain.  Maybe we'll never know if he really has what it takes but for this Liverpool side tonight, we'll see just how prepared they are for what could very well be the stuff of legend.  It is the ultimate challenge, far greater than any Champions League game and more esteemed than winning the world cup.  Winning away at Stoke on a cold Wednesday evening.

Boxing day fixtures are something that still warms my ever increasingly cynical heart.  Perhaps as I'm getting a little too old to be enjoying Christmas the way I used to, this has become the tradition that I look forward too the most.  A win seems to underline the good feeling that comes around with the festive period - like the last present being delivered - and can potentially give way to some momentum as we go into the new year.  This fixture however represents a real lump of coal in my stocking.  I just hope we can get out of there with the three points as comfortably as possible.  Joy to all men? Not if they've ever seen Stoke play.

Hyperbole aside, this is one of the most difficult away games we have left, quite possibly the hardest if you take out the two Manchester Clubs.  Stoke have conceded only three goals at the Britannia this season which is frightening.  Luis Suarez has a decent record against them in recent years having scored both home and away last year (in the FA and League Cup respectively) as well as scoring against them on his Anfield debut.  If we're going to get anything out of this game tonight he really has to be at his best.  We're not likely to create a massive amount of chances given their sturdy defence so if we're ever going to become clinical, today would have to be it.

What with it being a televised evening kick off there will be a real occasion for the home fans to rally around.  They seem to relish playing against - and indeed stifling - us in recent seasons, with our first victory at this ground in the Premier League still to be registered.  It doesn't seem to matter how well we play here either, for we've been terrible and gotten what we deserved but last year we were pretty good and got stung by a really soft penalty.  The crowd will no doubt be loud and in the ear of the referee as you would expect of a partisan, passionate home support.  That does leave us a problem in terms of the physicality we're likely to come up against.  Huth, Shawcross and co will likely be as ruthless as ever with our front players but if we get sucked into it then Agger and Skrtel will no doubt be punished.  Howard Webb will have his hands full and I'm more than a little sceptical as to how well he'll be able to cope.

Were it not for the result against Aston Villa, this would be the one in which it would be almost forgiven for dropping points.  We'd take a hard earned draw and coming away with anything - limbs intact - would be an achievement.  A win however would virtually undo a lot of the bad work we did at Anfield eleven days ago and would certainly give us a boost ahead of the coming new year.  I always come into these games with a grudging respect for Pulis and end them with a horrible, disgusting after-taste.  The manager - as much as I respect what he and Stoke have "accomplished" over the years - is something of a hypocrite and it would be so wonderful to see him and his players/cavemen beaten.  A belated Christmas miracle.

Saturday 22 December 2012

(H) Fulham - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham
Liverpool Goals: Martin Skrtel (8), Steven Gerrard (36), Stewart Downing (51), Luis Suarez (90)

There must be something in the air.  It may be the season of goodwill but I was not expecting Fulham to be this accommodating, though I do thank them for it.  A wonderful early present, with a victory that was not only gift wrapped but all around about as pleasant an afternoon as we've had for some time.  It began with the starting eleven.  Rest for Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen as well as the return of Jose Enrique whom we badly missed last week against Aston Villa.  Suso's introduction was an intriguing one and even though I would much rather he and Gerrard be swapped around it was a team I thought was capable of going out there and getting the three points.  How right that proved to be.

Some teams come onto us early.  Given our problems with passing it out from the back coupled with the adrenaline that naturally comes at the start of a game that's understandable.  Perhaps serving as a metaphor for the rest of the game, Fulham decided to charge Jose Enrique within the first few seconds then decide they'd had enough of that and sat off completely.  Even when we had the ball in our own half Berbatov was the only Fulham player who was that side of the pitch as they set their stall out early and he's not exactly the most workaholic of strikers.  As such we settled into a rhythm of passing very quickly looking to probe as there were battles being fought either side, firstly with Suso on Dejagah and then Downing clashing with Riise - all of which coming to nothing.  Moments later the first real chance of the game as Jose Enrique tried to barrel his way through four defenders to earn a corner, from which Daniel Agger has a free header which he skied.  He wouldn't be the only Liverpool centre half left open from a corner.

Though they had nine of the ten outfield players back in their own half, there was still a gap between their midfield and defence which Shelvey and Suso could be seen drifting in and out of.  At the back Steven Gerrard was working hard in conjunction with Lucas to make sure there was no similar gap in our own set-up nor would there be any easy shots on goal on the few occasions in which a Fulham player managed to stride forward with the ball.  One of the advantages of having Gerrard in this deep lying role is his range of passing and the speed with which it helps us change gears from defence to attack.  His long pass out from the right to left hand side over to Jose Enrique was as outrageous as it was accomplished and the Spaniard flashed it first time across the box brilliantly, only for there to be no-one on the end of it.  Fulham recovered for maybe half a second before Downing had it back and his cross was then nearly audaciously put in with a Jonjo Shelvey back flick but it was blocked for a corner instead.  From the restart Steven Gerrard was able to find Martin Skrtel in acres of space right by the penalty spot, so much so that he had time to chest it down before thumping into the back of the net.  A perfect execution in both how you finish and how you start a game.

With an early lead and being allowed virtually all of the ball, confidence was flourishing.  We had time and space all over the park and the passes were being exchanged both long and short in abundance.  One thing that did catch my eye however was that on one occasion whereby Lucas lost the ball and Fulham did go off on the break, Glen Johnson came into the centre to try and neutralize the situation.  I would have been interested to know which of the following (if either were applicable) were his reasons for this.  Firstly because they only had one man up front and he was comfortable in leaving Skrtel behind him to cover, knowing that there would be time for either Gerrard to be the extra man or Lucas to get back.  A more interesting thought however would have been as a direct result of Villa's second goal against us last week.  Both Downing and Johnson were bypassed as fullbacks by the movement of Benteke and by the time either of them had the chance to be involved in play it was too late.  By stepping up and trying to affect the play earlier, he has a much better chance of success.  As it was, Berbatov was forced wide and the chance evaporated very quickly.

From one wide player to another, Stewart Downing was lining up his shooting range and coming very close to doubling the lead with an effort that just flashed wide.  If he was starting to grow in confidence then our opposition were going the other way.  Their passing was forced and control even worse, as if a lot of them wanted rid of the ball rather than were trying any kind of advancement of the ball.  It didn't take much for us to recover it and even with a few more men behind the ball we were still able to keep it on the edge of their penalty area with Downing's eventual cross just about headed clear by Hangeland.  No more was their nonchalance prevalent than when we had the ball at the back.  Agger, Skrtel, Gerrard and Lucas were allowed to stroll forward with ease and as Johnson and Enrique provided the width, there were options everywhere as Fulham allowed us to dictate virtually every aspect of the game.

It may have taken them about twenty minutes but our defence did have some work to do.  Martin Skrtel had to be alert when Dejagah tried to play Berbatov through the middle and his sliding tackle forced the ball to rebound back off him and then away by Jose Enrique.  Fulham had weathered what was an early battering and for once had some degree of possession, however they were blocked off from any attempt at getting near Pepe Reina's goal.  Our foot had been taken off the pedal just a little but even so it didn't take much to recover the ball and get on the attack once more and when we did there was more than enough space for us to cause problems with Suarez dropping off to receive it and then shooting just wide.  Because of the way in which Fulham were passing the ball, they were so relieved for us to lower our tempo it was almost as if we were lulling them in by backing off a little and then pouncing when the time was right.  This kind of pressure led to what can only be described as miss of the season so far.

We picked it up just in the final third as Fulham stood on the ball too long.  Downing passed it through to Suarez on the right who tried to cut inside with the ball eventually coming to Steven Gerrard on the edge.  His shot deflected off Hangeland and right back to Suarez.  The ball across the six yard box should have been a tap in for Daniel Agger as Schwarzer was already beaten but instead of it being a second goal he inexplicably ballooned it into the stands.  Suarez had it gift wrapped for Agger just in time for Christmas but clearly he doesn't open his presents so early.  While a defender was up front missing clear cut chances, Fulham's main threat could not get any more advanced that the halfway line.  One thing you're never going to get from Berbatov is someone who will run defenders ragged and though some of his touches are sublime - one in particular to hold it up was fantastic - he was being forced so far away from goal the threat of him was all but extinguished.

Leaving space is dangerous but it's what the opposition do with it that counts.  Fulham were backing off and leave gaps, coupled with the fact that we were completely overrunning them in the middle of the park and they really had no answer for us.  At one point there was a counter attack with seven of their players running back against four red shirts piling forward.  One pass played from the right of centre down to the other side took out four Fulham players and had Suarez through on goal.  The only thing that saved them was a - questionable - flag being raised for offside.  At the other end with no luck breaking down our defence, Keiron Richardson tried to bypass it altogether.  Having found a little room in the middle of the park for pretty much the first time in the game he decided to let one fly from long range and nearly embarrassed Pepe Reina.  The shot may have taken a slightest deflection (having watched it a few times I really can't tell) and as it was Pepe dived well beyond it and was fortunate to save the ball with his feet.  It was to be as close to Fulham would come all half.

Despite the fact that they had a man extra in midfield, it wasn't helping stem the tide at all.  With Berbatov isolated and not the kind of player who'll chase lost causes, they had no real outlet and were trying to make a concious effort to step up and at least contain us further up the pitch instead of letting us have the ball around their penalty area. The bodies coming together made it so that a few cheap free kicks were being given away either side with no-one being able to take advantage and if there was any sense that Fulham would escape a half in which they'd been very abject by being only one goal down then we were about to make them pay again.  It started with Gerrard having the ball around the halfway line, which tells you everything about how bad of a marking job they did in what followed.  After passing it around at the back Johnson got it wide and drove inside before passing it out to Downing who was on the right hand edge of the box.  He passed a ball inside which Gerard - having timed his run to perfection - ran onto and although he was at a tight angle managed to put the ball into the far corner for his second goal in as many matches.  Unlike last week against Aston Villa however, this was in much better circumstances.


It's not possible to be a beaten side before half time.  Football is a magnificent game because of the way players are able to completely change what's happened in the minutes prior no matter how radical the scoreline.  However, for the result to be different however it was going to take a complete one eighty degree turnaround. We were showing all the signs of a team that was brimming with confidence, playing good football and was generally had more of an appetite for the fight than our opponents.  Glen Johnson and Stewart Downing showing all this in one move when Johnson won the ball in midfield and launched us on the break.  He made a little bit of a mess of the play out wide but then ran back with his man all the way and managed to recover it.  What made it even better was that Downing had already moved himself back into the right back spot as cover just in case things went wrong.  Martin Jol was going to have to give one hell of a team talk to recover this one.

The fun with which we were having out on the pitch was about to be stopped.  Not by our opponents but by the fact that half time quickly approached.  Leading up to the break was a series of moves that didn't quite have the same venom as the sweeping move that lead to our second nor the complete absence of a defence that made the first possible.  Suso got on to the end of a move created by Downing and then Suarez and though his initial touch was good he was unable to hold off the defender and his shot was tame and wide.  Jonjo Shelvey then showed his inexperience by making a bad run toward goal when Suarez had the ball on the right hand side of the box, narrowing his angle.  Had he dummied his run Luis could have laid it back to him but instead he was forced to shoot and they were lucky in that it just about stuck between Schwarzer's legs as it threatened to go through them.  First Johnson and then Enrique both had opportunities to cross as the one minute of stoppage time elapsed and both were promptly dealt with by the Fulham defence.  Forty five minutes gone and having been punished a week ago for not taking our chances we had done just that.  More of the same was needed in the second half.  More of the same was what we got.

Fulham added a striker to their ranks as we headed out for the second half but left the dressing room without any real fire.  Two goals down isn't the biggest deficit to claw back but right from the off we were seeing once again that they were happy to sit off and let us play around them while the opposite was true for how we would respond to a period of Fulham possession.  The first chance of the half fell to Luis Suarez who would have expected to have done better, the chance arriving after Gerrard had found Stewart Downing and his shot across goal deflected high and over everyone else only for Suarez to poke it well over.  Both the way in which we dealt with their main threat as well as the ease with which it was accomplished compared to their approach was a small summation of the game itself.  Berbatov was continuing to drop off and was being smothered by the midfield - Lucas particularly - while Suarez was giving Hangeland all sorts of problems.  A Fulham goal really would have had to come out of nowhere and yet it was still not quite as surprising as what happened next.

Whether it was due to the circumstances of the game being so comfortable that Downing was so confidence or that said confidence was affecting the play in such a way I'm not sure.  Fulham allowing us to have a lot of the ball made it easier for someone like Downing whose decision making isn't great to have the time and space while options present themselves.  I've said before that his movement out wide cutting inside is perhaps the most predictable of any player I've ever seen and that a defender could read it quite comfortably.  This pretty much summed up how well of a day Downing was having and how bad it was going for Fulham.  Suarez picked the ball up in the middle on the break and they reacted by going very narrow.  The ball then found it's way to the right hand side where Stewart had a few days to think about what he wanted to to.  Riise didn't get out to him and when he did move, created a gap which Downing cut inside to try and get through and then once he had a sight of goal decided to shoot.  It sort of squirmed under Schwarzer, who put out an arm as only a polite attempt to save it and at least making sure that he shared some of the blame with his team-mates for the slackness which produced the goal.  Nobody would have predicted it before the game but Downing had all but ended it.

If they were dejected before the third goal, after it was downright lethargic.  We were quicker to every ball even when they had a man advantage and generally far more eager to get things going than our opponents, this then leading to a particularly harsh yellow card for Glen Johnson.  The most effective thing that we continued to do was given their lacklustre tempo and the fact that they wanted so many touches in midfield, pressing them forced them back and into dangerous areas which we could potentially get the ball back and be in on goal all within one pass.  Our comfort levels were nearly shattered when Rodellaga could have headed in from a corner while being watched by three defenders and it's momentary lapses of concentration like that which can on other days completely punish you.  As it was with nothing going Fulham's way, the ball was too high for the Colombian striker and it drifted wide.

Scoring so early in the half and all but sealing the victory did sap our ruthlessness as time went on.  It could have been a very high scoreline but we dropped back and they had a little more possession, as well as the introduction of Kerim Frei who had given them a little more pace out wide.  If I were to be overly critical, there was a pocket of space in which Shelvey was pushing forward as the head of the midfield and Suarez was there anyway as the focal point of the attack.  Jonjo in particular should maybe have done a little more given the room he was afforded.  As we backed off a little and let them come onto us, the only time the game really rose in tempo was when one of our defenders would come forward.  Agger burst forward looking to make amends for his shocking first half miss and passed it out wide to Suso, whose cross was headed clear and likewise Enrique's attempt at breaching their backline came to nothing before Glen Johnson went for a long range hit which went just wide.

While our defence were trying to score, theirs were just about getting away with not conceding further.  Sloppy passes were being played in their own half and the constant running of Luis Suarez made it so that they were always likely to be pounced upon.  We then made our first change of the game, Suso coming off in much better circumstances than being switched after half an hour against Wigan.  Raheem Sterling came on to replace him, looking for a goal to celebrate having just signed his new contract.  It could have arrived straight away as he and Shelvey combined.  Had he taken the shot on rather than try to loop it over the defenders head, Sterling may very well have scored.  Another change was soon to be made as Joe Allen came on for Jonjo Shelvey, giving Gerrard a little more freedom to move forward as the game entered it's final phase.  In truth, it was well over a long time ago.

Three goals up into the final ten minutes, there was no sign of any consolation for Fulham.  As it was, the only team that looked like scoring was the one that had been doing it all game.  Sterling could have made it worse as he drove in and was somewhat sandwiched between Hangeland and Riether but it would have been a little harsh.  Gerrard then forced Schwarzer into a smart save after Glen Johnson had inadvertently deflected a Luis Suarez free kick into his path.  Suarez too was - as ever - still hungry to do more damage to the Fulham back four, combining with both Sterling and Gerrard before cutting inside the defender and very nearly getting to it ahead of Schwarzer, who just about avoided having it poked through his legs.  At the other end Dimitar Berbatov, while not showing the same kind of hunger for the game that Suarez does, was still showing his sharpness.  Having been given room for practically the first time in the game he forced Reina into a long range save with Martin Skrtel there to clear the rebound and moments later Berba drove it into Pepe's hands once more except this time he was able to hold on to it.

Lucas came off and Jamie Carragher ran on to make his customary appearance as we looked to see out the minutes that remained.  Fulham had the majority of the possession now and knocked it around better than they had for the most part but it was still of nowhere near any real quality and anytime they looked to get close to our goal we cleared it comfortably.  A couple of free kicks at either end forced decent saves out of both keepers, Luis Suarez's effort disrupted at first by the referee's moving of the ball before taking it and then kept out by Schwarzer before Rodellega had one tipped onto the post by Pepe Reina.  Fulham might have wished he'd never even had the chance to score, for on the break they were unknowingly about to be punished.  Suarez - who was still angry at the lack of options as we entered the ninety second minute of a game we were three nil up in - decided to go alone on the counter and won a corner.  Sterling played it short to Enrique, who managed to trick his way down the goal line and then pull it back for Suarez to get a well earned goal and seal the win perfectly.  The final whistle was blown to put an end to Fulham's misery moments later.  After the Villa game we were looking for a response which we got completely.  Now we need to kick on from here and going to Stoke next will be sure to see a lot of kicking indeed.

(H) Fulham - Pre Match Thoughts

                                            Premier League
                                        Saturday 22th December 2012
                                                  Anfield
                                        Liverpool VS Fulham

Oh how do we need this today. For all that went wrong last week against Villa, things need to be put right today. Our profligacy in front of goal will not be solved overnight but there were a lot of other aspects of our play last week that we can improve on. At the very least, in terms of professional pride at there will be some kind of reaction and I'm hoping to see us bounce back properly.  Having been pushed into a corner with the events of last week, we need to come out fighting.

 The middle of the park will be under intense scrutiny today. It doesn't appear to matter what kind of midfield we come up against, they always seem to find it really rather easy to slice through ours. If ever there was a game to experiment with Steven Gerrard in an advanced role then this is it. Put Suso in at the front of the middle three with Henderson and Lucas in behind them and I think those changes could really help us. Certainly in terms of giving Joe Allen a much needed rest. I'm usually all in favour of trying to give players a chance to redeem themselves after a bad performance but today I'm looking for us to be proactive and try to answer the questions that our lacklustre midfield has been posing.

 Someone whom I'm not exactly eager to be reunited with is Dimitar Berbatov. The sloth like forward may not be the most mobile but he's a proven goalscorer and certainly could cause us as many problems as Benteke did last week, albeit in a completely different way. The one relieving aspect of the way in which Fulham have set up this season, their midfield isn't as creative or dangerous as it has been in the past - the absence of Clint Dempsey is certainly a relief. If we're able to get a hold of the game, then hopefully we can cut out Berbatov's supply and in turn make the game a hell of a lot easier.

 It sounds strange given just how far he had fallen in terms of favour earlier on in the season but we could really do with having Jose Enrique passed as fit today. His attacking movement and ability to cause the opposition problems is something we severe missed last week in addition to the fact that he and Suarez have developed something of a connection. In regard to Luis, he has cooled off in terms of scoring as of late and seeing as his performances and commitment still haven't dipped he'll be eager to get back to the businesses of putting the ball into the net. It would be nice if the burden wasn't squarely upon his shoulders but for the time being, especially after last week, we need our big players to shine.

 Last year, this was one of those games in a -not so - glittering collection of disappointing home games. With last Saturday's loss putting us seemingly back to square one then we need a win to balance things out and start some kind of momentum over the Christmas period. Fulham are a good side with quality but really lacking in confidence at the minute. They'll be of the belief that they can come here today and get a result but if we impose ourself on the game and really command the game without even giving them a sniff then they won't be able to deal with it. It may only be the 22nd but three points today would be the perfect early Christmas present.

Monday 17 December 2012

Mind Games


Of all the various activities that can be enjoyed, there are two types.  Some require skill and there are those that are fuelled by chance.  The idea then that even the element of good fortune may exist in the world of professional sport does not apply in reverse.  A single moment in time over the application a life's work; and yet it's better to be lucky at something rather than good at it.  Even the most computational and rational of people put their faith in all kinds of superstitions   It could be a specific shirt, underwear or even an elaborate routine.  Anything to gain an advantage.

The past is meant to inform our future, not define it. Only the correct use of information picked up from what has gone before will help to assist the present and guide the way ahead, alone it is useless.  Those that want to learn from their mistakes will forever become better, while anyone who revels in their former glory may never be able to repeat it.  There are lessons to be learned in every page of the history books but you still have to apply them successfully in order to get to where you want to go.

Repetition leads to understanding.  If the actions of one person illicit the same reaction every time, they will know that the two events are linked in some way.  It's for that reason that so many teams feel that they can come to Anfield and get a result because so many have done in the recent past.  What's important is to discover the connection and try to reverse that trend - however simple or complicated it may be - and not just accept things the way they are.  That's not to say this will always be the way, for up until Saturday Liverpool had done a lot of groundwork with wins over Wigan, Reading and Southampton but now they will have to start again and be more resolute.  A set back like this makes it difficult both in the present and in the future because teams know that it's possible.  Just because we're capable of faltering however does not mean it should ever be likely.

Realizing that something works in a certain way is only the first step.  Knowing why it operates in the manner it does will then give a broader grasp of the situation.  Assuming that something will happen - whether that be winning or losing - regardless of how well informed, is a dangerous game.  If a tossed coin lands on heads a thousand times in a row, that is no guarantee of it landing heads ever again.  People can be very quick to draw up a line between the past and an unknown future. The premise may be based on experience but it is still very much an acceptance of an assumed reality. Whether it's beliefs are of superiority or inferiority it doesn't matter, the sports pages are always filled with stats week after week about how a certain team has never won at a certain ground or how X has never scored against Y. When they work in our favour we hold on to them, embellish these misleading facts to the point where they are all but cast iron assurances of victory. Putting too much faith in them completely ignores the idea that anyone can improve - or decline - over time.

Gathered data over a period of time mean little to the outsider, but to the participant they could mean a great deal. As with all that is psychological in the world of sport, anything that puts the athlete in a better frame of mind can only be a good thing. If two teams of similar ability are put into the same situation, it is the team that has the confidence that it will win that is far more likely and although nothing is guaranteed, any manager would like the extra ten or so percent between those who think they have it in them and those who don't.

The dangers of both ways of thinking are very severe. A team that consistently falls at the final hurdle will eventually convince itself that they cannot and as such will lose before a ball has been kicked. Those who are used to winning may eventually take it for granted and lose their focus when it really matters. Any good manager can take care of the latter - not every time but often enough - if a collection of players become conditioned to losing however, then it's almost impossible to recover. Isn't it Arsene?


Both the situation and the concerns that are arising now over at the Emirates should be very much on the mind of Brendan Rodgers and his men, perhaps moreso than any other club in the league right now. The trust with which he has put in the younger and academy players has been endearing and for the most part rewarding but it does come with a risk. Those that are just finding their feet in the world of football are by far more susceptible to defeat.  Especially in the case of having a pool of raw talent, they need to experience some degree of success otherwise their game will not develop naturally and they could become held back by fear. It's for this reason that the last few games prior to the Aston Villa disaster have been potentially very important for Liverpool Football Club in the long term.

It's unlikely when listing great European triumphs that last weeks one goal victory over Udinese will be among them, still it served a purpose. There were four members of the starting eleven that night - as well as Jonjo Shelvey who came on very soon after - who are still taking part in their debut season on the continent and as such are still learning the game at that level. This will have been their first experience of a European knock-out and though defeat in the Europa League may not be enough to keep Suarez or Reina awake at night, the likes of Henderson or Allen in particular would have seen this as an opportunity missed. The pressure is sure to be different next time and the challenges bound to be harder but at least they have the experience of getting through it.

Right now there is a real strong mentality among the squad that Rodgers has around him at present but that's not to say that it won't be tested. Having ground out wins at home and starting to reverse the trend of frustrating draws, the club appears to have to start again after what happened on Saturday - just as it reacted after the defeat to West Brom in the opening day and against Swansea in the League Cup when the picture seemed familiarly bleak.  It's disappointing that people have to feel these dramatic lows over the course of the season but not unsurprising. As the club enters the most hectic and potentially most crucial part of the season there was a real momentum there and it can't all be forgotten on the back of one bad result. It doesn't stop here.

Taking nothing for granted, no amount of confidence will get the job done.  Things had been going well lately on the whole and there still needs to be a massive push just before the transfer window opens in January.  Getting back on track as quickly as possible will help repair the damage.  Winning helps get into the minds of the opposition and will in turn make them believe that for whatever reason that fate will favour Liverpool Football Club.  This isn't about a roll of the dice or any kind of gamble however, football is a game of talent and the club needs to continue to showcase that, as often as possible.  Then fortunes will really change.

Saturday 15 December 2012

(H) Aston Villa - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (87)
Aston Villa Goals: Christian Benteke (29, 51), Andreas Weimann (40)

The nightmare before Christmas.  A real chance to push on with our season and it looks like we've taken a number of steps back.  I understand that the temptation to overreact might be too easy to resist for some people.  This was as gutless and insipid a performance for quite some time.  That being said, those crying out the loudest now were probably the ones who were overly buoyant last week.  There are some things still very wrong with this team and on this occasion many individuals let us down also.  I'll take a deep breath, try and make some sense of it all and then hopefully never speak of this again.

We took to the field with what was a relatively straightforward team - save for the inclusion of Stewart Downing.  It's not so much him being in the team but it does highlight both the problems we have with depth in having to persist with him but also the way in which Glen Johnson is playing and how Rodgers doesn't want to mess with it by having Wisdom come in at right back and shifting him over.  Prior to the game there was a minutes applause held for a former Liverpool player, captain and manager.  Phil Taylor played for the Reds in two spells separated by World War II over the thirties and forties and it's a shame to say goodbye but respect is due to someone who was a part of the history of this club.  RIP Phil Taylor (18 September 1917 – 1 December 2012).

As the action got under way it didn't take very long for Villa to have a chance at goal, a short back to Martin Skrtel pass inside the first minute forced the Slovakian into committing a foul and the subsequent free kick led to a decent header well saved by Pepe Reina.  It took a minute or two but after Steven Gerrard found some space in the middle of the park we really seemed to come to life.  Suarez was chasing down Brad Guzan who then booted the ball into the stands and from then on the ball rarely exited the Villa half.  This pressure seemed to intensify when Stewart Downing found some space on the left hand side and his early cross was very nearly put into his own net by Eric Lichaj.  The chance that followed it was even more clear cut.  Joe Allen chased the ball down in the middle of the park and it was then given away to Luis Suarez.  He only had one defender in front of him and Steven Gerrard running alongside.  If the ball had been played anywhere in front of him, Gerrard would have been through on goal and almost certainly have finished it off.  As it was, Suarez played it behind him and though Stevie managed to get a shot away it was easily saved and a big opportunity had been missed.

Stewart Downing might be no stranger to hearing a smattering of boos at Anfield so the fact that the Aston Villa faithful were jeering his every touch didn't really seem to phase him.  In fact, despite my reticence to see him employed at left back again his movement was very good and he seemed to be desperate to prove a point to his former fan base with a speculative hit from distance that was only just wide.  Paul Lambert's weren't being allowed any time on the ball whatsoever as we pressed them very aggressively in their own half, which led constantly to chances for Sterling or Johnson to run at their men but every time the final ball wasn't there.  Raheem in particular was having a hard time where everything he seemed to try had an air of predictability about it.

We were incredibly comfortable with the state of the game, with our passing going right throughout the side.  From Agger just outside our box and Shelvey on the left hand side to Lucas in the middle and then Johnson on the far side.  With Villa employing three at the back it meant that they were very narrow and there was space to run into inside the fullback areas but unfortunately even though we got into these areas constantly there was nothing in the way of delivery with Sterling's final ball being cut out and Johnson picking out Brad Guzan when he had time.  I understand that there's time and space for balls to be played aerially but when a t team has flooded the middle and are giving us the wide areas, it doesn't make sense to be playing in crosses like this.

The following statement could only be true of one person.  For a goalkeeper, he is so good at tackling.  One ball seemingly out of nowhere caught Martin Skrtel on the wrong side of Andreas Weimann but Reina was alert enough to come out to him and usher him wide, before executing a perfect challenge to give away a corner and not anything worse.  On the break now even Suarez had decided to come out wide and try to take advantage of the space being afforded out there.  His cross field pass to Steven Gerrard was glorious  and looked to have put him through on goal.  Gerrard's first touch was okay but it then bobbled up onto his left foot and harmlessly out for a goal kick.  Perhaps it was one he should have hit it first time.  Suarez was the provider once again a few moments later when he caught Christopher Herd dallying on the ball after Guzan had thrown it out to him.  Suarez cut inside and laid it off to Jonjo Shelvey who was about to pull the trigger when an excellent challenge from Nathan Baker blocked the effort.

Nineteen minutes into the game and the Aston Villa fans were cheering.  Not for a goal or any piece of play that would have them on their feet but for Stiliyan Petrov, who is currently undergoing treatment for acute leukaemia.  Everyone else then joined in as the whole stadium shared their support for a man going fighting a difficult battle.  On the pitch it was very much as you were, both Sterling and Glen Johnson found their efforts blocked or over hit in no particular order as the tempo upped slightly but the quality remained as it was.  There was certainly an air of containment as Villa passed it around in the middle, growing into it slightly but never venturing forward with the ball.  We pressed them efficiently if not dynamically and it appeared as though we were much further ahead in the game than we were.  Almost as if it never entered the concious minds of either team that they could score.  And then they did.

Sterling and Shelvey had swapped wings to see if they could get some joy down their opposite flank and though it did bring with it no obvious chances there was a glorious long ball from deep played by Stewart Downing over to Shelvey who knocked it down for Suarez only for the offside flag to be raised.  Another Liverpool corner moments later and even though Villa were able to break clear again Lucas was able to snuff out the danger as he does so well.  As he passed it off to Suarez on the right hand side ahead of him with his back to the defender, everything looked perfectly fine.  Luis tried a needless back heel and proceeded to give it away and that's where it all started to go wrong.  Lichaj had the ball out wide and passed it over to Benteke.  He drifted inside for a moment before looking up and deciding to hit one out of nowhere.  It passed through a crowd of bodies and somehow crept inside Reina's near post, giving Villa the lead with their first real shot of the game.

The whole thing seemed surreal yet depressingly familiar.  At the rate we were playing though, I really did think it wouldn't take much to get back into it.  What it had done however was give Villa an added confidence and something to hold on to.  Immediately they pulled their wing backs in about ten yards, filling up the gaps in the wide areas and making sure that our wide players were denied access to the space that had been previously available all game.  Sterling and Shelvey were shifted back to the side which they had started the game and Raheem then combined with Gerrard to set up Suarez who drilled one into the side netting from a wide angle.  Whereas we were forever underlining our attacking impotence, they were not only aware of our potential fragility but keen to exploit it.  Weimann followed in on a soft header from Glen Johnson and was unlucky not to score after he lobbed it over Pepe Reina and saw it fall down on the top of the goal.  The first goal may have come as a surprise but now Villa were beginning to smell blood.

With the lead to protect and safe in the knowledge that we would come forward and could be punished on the break, their front players were looking alert and menacing.  Without even really overcommitting, they nearly got in behind with a pass played over to Weimann that Skrtel had to drift wide and a fortunate bobble  making sure it went back to Reina safely.  When we did manage to go forward however, the sheer weight of numbers defending made it difficult to see a pass, let alone play one correctly.  At one point - and this is on the counter attack - they had seven players inside the penalty area to our four.  Things weren't looking good.  The situation was about to get a whole lot worse.

It was an absolute lesson in movement.  The kind of goal you want your team to score and had it been in any other game I would have been very impressed with it.  Sadly it was our net that the ball found it's way into and then you can do nothing but grit your teeth, especially in the circumstances.  It began with the most basic of midfield presses.  Villa held the ball on the edge of their own half but weren't really going anywhere.  Allen, Lucas and lastly Gerrard all rushed the player on the ball and did their bit to push them back if not to make them give it up.  Unfortunately when Stevie went to close down his man he slipped and allowed him into the space behind him.  Villa were now three against two in the middle of the park and the key to the goal was what happened next.  Benteke dropped deep to make it four against two and once he had laid the ball off he ran diagonally across the two centre backs into the space vacated by Agger as he came out to close Weimann down.  Benteke back heeled it instantly and Weimann followed it up perfectly, slotting the ball beyond Pepe Reina to double their lead.


Those at "fault" would have been Agger for failing to pick up the runner, Johnson for not coming across or one of Lucas/Allen who should have been tracking Weimann anyway.  I would be hard pressed to say there was any actual blame attached (especially in Johnson's case, there was a spare man at the back post who could have been given a tap in had he come over) as the movement and passing was too good but that being said I'm not particularly happy with the way we tried to defend it.  Confidence now overflowing from the away side, we needed to get back into it quickly.  Lucas played a great ball over their packed defence to Gerrard who may have been able to hit it first time but instead played it back to Suarez who couldn't really get a hold of it.  Jonjo Shelvey didn't cover himself in glory with a couple of bad miscues in the space of a moment but at the very least he was getting into those spaces.  We really needed someone to make it count however.

Paul Lambert's men had closed off the middle of the park.  It was now flooded completely with those horrible fluorescent shirts that they were wearing.  Right up until the half all we were able to manage was half chances, if you could even call them that.  Shelvey's decent free kick whipped in from the right hand side wasn't fully cleared and when Sterling recovered it on the other side all he could do was cross it along the floor into the arms of Guzan.  Stewart Downing looked to have found a way through when he played a ball intended for Suarez on the edge of the penalty area only for Joe Allen to take it off his toes and look to be through on goal, only for it to bobble wide - summing up the half in an attacking sense.  As the players went off for half time they might have been wondering just how they were two goals down to a side who'd hardly kicked the ball.  All I could wonder was how a side that doesn't score enough would get back into it.

When you're trailing by a couple of goals and the manager wants to make a change to get back into the game, Joe Cole isn't exactly the saviour that many had in mind.  Part of it is indicative of how little squad depth we have at present and that is something which needs to be addressed, especially when you consider that in the face of all the negativity surrounding him he was still probably the one most likely to come on and score a goal.  He came out for the start of the second half in place of Jonjo Shelvey who'd had one of "those" first forty five minutes.  Despite having done well to get into some decent positions, his touch had all but abandoned him at a time when we really needed something to happen for us.  Right from the off though, we did look like there was a willingness and an urgency to get back into the game and perhaps really should have been given that platform as early as the second minute of the second half.  A corner came in which Martin Skrtel headed back across goal for Daniel Agger, who was having his shirt tugged so hard it may as well have been pulled over his head.  Our long awaited search for a penalty this season continues.  There won't be many occasions where we'll have needed it more.

The foul on Agger rather seemed to rattle the crowd but have no real affect on the players.  Maybe they've got to the point now where it's an acceptance of the way things have been going in that regard, which would be incredibly sad.  Still that didn't stop them from trying to get back into the game, Suarez as per usual at the heart of everything; first backing into Baker and then turning him before his eventual shot lacked any power to trouble Guzan and then linking with Stewart Downing who came inside and forced the American goalkeeper into making a decent save.  Once again though, despite our presence as an attacking force it was our complete absence of any real strength and composure which was to be our downfall.  While their second goal was crafted magnificently the third featured perhaps the worst showcase of defending I've seen for some time.

A rather straightforward ball was played into Joe Cole in the middle of the park and instead of controlling it  he allowed Benteke to take it from him.  I can understand he will have been keen to turn and get it on the front foot but this was a very basic error for which there can be no excuses.  From here the defence seemed to collapse in on itself, allowing the Villa front man to run as far forward with the ball as possible, Skrtel even doing his part to show him a path into the middle of the goal where he breezed past him and fired beyond Reina to really underline our misery.  After the goal all thoughts of getting back into the game had disappeared.  This was turning into a real embarrassment and Villa looked to be capable of adding to it at any time.

From here the pattern that emerged was one of two completely different circumstances.  When the ball was in their half they packed the defence but left just enough of a gap in between the lines for us to pick up the ball and run at them, safe in the knowledge that even if we managed to get in behind our profligacy would take hold.  We went from left to right and back again, looking for a gap in their defence but none was forthcoming.  Meanwhile when they were on the break there was no such stranglehold in the middle and Benteke in particular was having the run of things as our midfield failed in any way to get a grip when we'd inevitably lose the ball.  Despite all the possession and pressure we were trying to exert it was Villa who were coming closer to adding to the score, Weimann and Bannan both having chances that Reina was just able to keep out.

Everything about his period of the match was painful.  The lack of imagination and of any real desire, it was incredibly infuriating.  Villa would back off, almost allowing us to do whatever we wanted in the first two thirds of the park and there wasn't anything which suggested we might be able to get so much as a foothold back into the game.  Downing and Johnson continued to put balls into the box aimlessly, while Sterling was trying to beat his man but constantly ran down blind alleys.  The one ball of any real danger was played by Lucas through to Suarez but his effort was gathered by Guzan at the second attempt.  It was to be Lucas' last contribution to the game as he was taken off for Jordan Henderson.  It was one of those rare occasions where even he was as guilty as everyone else for the problems in midfield.  Everyone is allowed one off game, especially when you're still trying to come back from two serious injuries.

Coming on with half an hour to go with your side three goals down, there was nothing for Henderson to lose getting stuck in and he did just that, providing some instant energy in the middle of the park that had seemed to be lacking from the moment Villa took the lead.  Another half hearted penalty appeal came minutes later as it appeared that Chris Herd handled a header from Glen Johnson.  Once again the referee wasn't interested and this time even I found it hard to muster up any resentment.  At this point we were relying on a piece of individual brilliance with Agger invited to come forward and unleashing a thunderbolt from just outside the area.  Had Guzan spilt it there were three waiting to pounce but he managed to make sure it didn't escape his grasp.

Villa had abandoned any and all attempts to add to their lead and were now happy to sit in and wait for the match to end.  Their narrow defence allowed our widemen plenty of the ball but the numbers they had ready in the penalty area were always enough to deal with whatever we could offer.  Sterling and Johnson were the primary options as we probed down the flanks with them both looking to go beyond or cut inside.  Downing was a little more one dimensional and even though none of them were successful  he's the one who struggled the most as Villa played at from a distance and his delivery not being of any real quality.  They had pushed themselves so deep at this point that had the scoreline been any closer it's the kind of policy that would backfire but with the three goal cushion it was up to us to find some answers and even the ever industrious and skilful Suarez was finding it hard to create anything with so many players around him.

Late in the game and referee Neil Swarbrick awarded a handball shout that saw ironic cheers go up around Anfield.  With the incident by the left hand touchline as opposed to inside the penalty area it was naturally much easier for an official to blow his whistle which in turn had the crowd cursing that this one was a free kick when the other one wasn't a penalty.  Naturally the free kick turned out to be something of a waste, we had long past the point where a realization of what kind of day this was turning out to be and if we needed any more evidence then the air shot which saw the ball bounce off the leg of Daniel Agger and go well wide after Sterling and Downing had worked some room on the left was enough to convince many inside the ground that this game had gone.

Incredibly subdued, Anfield was filled with a kind of hostile acceptance when out of the blue we managed to get a goal.  Glen Johnson had it on the right hand side and then drove infield to shoot.  His effort wasn't perhaps meant to be a cross but nevertheless Steven Gerrard ducked his head into it and beyond Guzan in the Villa goal.  All the while as the second half ticked on all I could ask for was a goal.  The idea that we could be completely kept out having been so dominant was particularly galling and now that we were on the score sheet - however late it may have been - there was nothing to lose by pushing for more.  If they had caught us on the break and gotten more then it didn't matter so it was time to throw everything at them.

A second goal would have made for a very tense finish.  I think had we scored once in the few minutes that remained, Villa's fragile defence may crumbled and we would very likely have got a third.  As it was there was very little to test Guzan in the short time that was left.  Johnson and Benteke tangled and for a moment it looked like the fire had been reignited in the game.  Unfortunately all it did in the end was waste a few more seconds and put a dampener over our momentum.  Villa defended stoutly as we went into added time and though we looked a little more urgent they were able to keep us away from goal.  There was a brief moment where Joe Allen right at the end of the game played a pass to Gerrard who in turn looked to have put Suarez in but the goalkeeper came out and gathered it for what would be the last act of a miserable game for us.

The reaction will be loud and emotional.  It's a reality check that we cannot ignore though I would be loathed to look too much into a game I think we would have won a vast majority of the time.  Villa took their chances and played very well for a period and we were during that passage of play as bad as we've been all season.  Failing to burying teams when we're on top of them is something we will forever be punished for and we need to react better to the goal against the run of play rather than let it be something that throws us off completely.  Next week is another home game and one we should be winning.  Now we simply have to.

(H) Aston Villa - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League
                                         Saturday 15th December 2012
                                                   Anfield
                                  Liverpool VS Aston Villa

Two former European Champions collide. That makes today's game seem far more dramatic than it is. Aston Villa's fall from grace has been more prolonged than our own but still the fact remains that both clubs are building the foundations of a new era in an attem to rectify the mistakes of the recent past. Paul Lambert was - along with Brendan Rodgers - one of the managers of the season last year and in that respect, today's clash between the two is a signal of their respective success in terms of the stature of their two employers (with all due respect to Swansea and Norwich). The difference between the two is that only one of them is having a decent run of form in the league as of late. It is the man in the home dugout.

A few weeks ago this wouldn't have seemed possible but I think of of the things we have to be weary of today is overconfidence. Three wins in a row represents a good run of form and we may be up against a side that isn't quite having the best of seasons but that doesn't mean our concentration should shift. The home wins against Southampton and Reading came after a few disappointing results and as such the entire squad was both galvanized and focused on getting what was a vital win. Just because we've managed to string a few victories together prior to today doesn't mean that this is any less vital.

Having been unavailable for the game against West Ham last week, Luis Suarez has waited a long time for this. The rest will have done him some good but I'm sure today he'll be hungry to come back and get involved in everything again today, perhaps even bag himself a few goals. This young Villa side is one that's likely to set up fairly defensively but also one that has a tendency to be fairly generous. As far as today's game goes, an early burst - whether that be from an eager Luis Suarez or the entire team as a whole - could perhaps blow them out of the water early, especially as some of them have already played in midweek. 

There can be no excuses today. We're full of confidence and - for the first time in a long time - able to call upon more or less our strongest eleven. I'm looking for the midfield to be far more authoritative than it was against West Ham, although Villa do not have anyone like Diame than can bulldoze their way through it's still important we don't give them any kind of footing. The likes of Benteke up top and Andreas Weimann are in good goalscoring form and will be as buoyant of their chances of scoring as anyone. Cut them out of the play completely and it might just be as straightforward an afternoon as everyone seems to think it will be.

Four points off fourth sounds a lot closer than it is. Simply being close isn't good enough. We have to press on and continue to grind out as many wins as possible. It was our home form - especially against those lower down in the table - that has had so many people concerned for a while. So far this season we've moved in the right direction in that respect. We can make this as difficult or as easy as we want to but the fact is that this fixture should be yielding three points for Liverpool. Anything else - in virtually any context - would be a disappointment.